Beavers Returning In Britain

Nature's pretty clever, it'll heal if we give it a chance. I remember reading that beavers were almost extinct in the UK, removed by people who shot them for fur and meat as well as castoreum oil. It is just sad to even consider the possibility of losing this most vital species. That is until, 400 years later now, they are mounting a spectacular recovery and that's something awesome to see.

Beaver kits — baby beavers which have begun to venture forth across Britain are like watching a piece of history return into existence. In Ealing, London, they are returning to places from which little creatures have been banished for centuries.

A family was reintroduced just eight short months ago and already, there are baby beavers in the river. In that sense, it feels like Nature is whispering "Welcome back."

Things like beaver dams in somewhere as far away from me as the Cairngorms in Scotland or at Wallington Estate just ten miles up the valley tell us constantly how everything is linked. These dams are not only beaver-built homes, but also create new micro environments for frogs, dragonflies, and other wildlife as well.

The way they change the physical landscape is great for all types of species and even helps clean water. Beavers also help with flooding. There is nothing better, than staring into a flames as they dance from wood to man.

I see that it is not all paradise. Farmers and fisherman have legitimate concerns. Blocked field drainage and disrupted fish migration from beaver dams. We cannot overlook how challenging coexisting with wildlife can be. We just have to understand that for every good thing beavers do, they are not without challenge. That balance is going to make all of the difference in how such reintroduction efforts are likely to fare on a larger scale.

But then there are the beavers and one particular trait. They are highly territorial and competition for space can be lethal, especially among males. Life is hard for these critters otters, badgers and birds of prey prowl constantly.

But against all odds, with everything stacked against them, the beavers are now starting to recover and wreak havoc in small patches of the British landscape.

There is real momentum behind this beaver revival and we can only wonder just how big these operations will become.

Beavers succeeding makes me optimistic, even in places like Ealing. According to the worldwide data, they may be a little further behind other countries in Europe but just these small steps being taken now will have massive impacts on future generations.

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