#SnapCamTails
European Beaver Castor fiber
Beavers are best known for their impressive dam building which they do by felling trees. They are excellent swimmers and can dive up to 15 minutes.
Diet: Herbivore: softwood barks, trees, leaves
History: The largest European rodent became extinct to the UK in the 16th century for hunting for their fur and the secretion of their glands. Beavers use this secretion for territorial behaviour, whereas humans used it for traditional medicine curing headaches.
Reintroduction programmes in the UK:
Scottish Beaver Trial (SBT) was a five year reintroduction program up in Knapdale, Argyll, which started in 2008. With Scientific research and involvement with the the locals and public it was very successful. In 2016 the species made UK history and the Scottish government made it offical that they are allowed to remain in Scotland making them the first mammal to be formally reintroduced to the UK.
Sadly beavers are still not protected!
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The River Otter Beaver Trial takes place down in Devon and started in 2015 and ends in 2020. It currently is having a lot of success with the locals especially involving the schools to education the children.
www.devonwildlifetrust.org/river-otter-beavers
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Tayside Beavers:
Whilst the SBT was going on beavers were illegally introduced in Tayside and successfully reproduced which is why I am capturing this footage of beavers on my camera trap on the River Earn. Understandably this caused lots of disagreements with farmers and landowners due to flooding on farmland adjacent to waterways; damaging crops. However these species increase biodiversity for other species with the dams they make, therefore mitigating these problems for farmers and landowners is essential.
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Mitigation Methods:
> Mesh fencing around the trees,
> painting the trees
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