Beavers Reintroduced In Scotland - First Presence In Region Since 1526 - Mongabay

[hatrack]

The European beaver has been reintroduced into a loch in western Scotland. Eleven individual beavers were released on Friday, May 29th by the Scottish Beaver Trial (SBT), a project run by the Scottish Wildlife Trust, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland and the Forestry Commission Scotland. The beaver was hunted to extinction throughout Britain during the Middle Ages for its fur. The last record of a beaver in Britain was made in 1526.

"Welcoming beavers back to Scotland marks a historic day for conservation. These charismatic creatures are not only likely to create interest in Scotland from further afield but crucially can play a key role in providing good habitat for a wide range of wetland species,” Roseanna Cunningham, Scottish Minister for the Environment, said at the release.

Three beaver families were imported from Norway and released into the Knapdale Forest after being kept in quarantine for six months. It is believed these Norwegian beavers are the closest genetically to those that once lived in Scotland.

Some Scots oppose the reintroduction, citing that the beavers could hamper salmon and sea trout migrations by changing rivers’ and lakes’ waterflow. In light of such concerns, the reintroduction includes a five year period of intense study and monitoring to keep track of how the beavers are affecting the Scottish landscape.

EDIT

http://news.mongabay.com/2009/0531-hance_beaver.html

[Ian David]

1. Now let's send snakes to Ireland! n/t

[happyslug]

5. This is native to Ireland and looks like a snake to me

Technically this is a LIZARD not a snake, it has eyelids and ears of a Lizard (Snakes have neither), it loses its skin in patches NOT as one single skin (Like other lizards but NOT snakes):
It is called a "Slow Worm", while it exist in Ireland today, some people believed it was introduced from England, but may be native.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anguis_fragilis

For more on Lizards in Ireland (and the slow worm which appears be have been introduced in the 1970s):
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/03/080313-snakes-ireland_2.html

[Taverner]

2. Beware the law of unintended consequences...

Just saying

[zbdent]

3. gotta alert Stephanie Miller on this ...

It's gotta be really bad if you haven't had beaver in nearly 500 years ...

[stuntcat]

4. It's good

I only hope it won't bother the Scottish Wildcats even more.


but still it sounds like a good thing.

[pscot]

6. Scots wildcat indeed

Looks like a damned feral housecat to me. Nice tail.