On the tv news here tonight a story from the UK showed footage of the first baby European beavers born in the UK for 500 years since they were introduced a few years ago, hope all go's well for them
Edinburgh zoo's parent organisation RZSS, is involved in a similar project to release European beaver back into the wild, not far from me in the Knapdale forest in Argyll.
How many 'beaver projects' are there in Scotland at present? Is ity more than one? I heard some time back that as yet there's no permission to actually release Beavers into the wild so they are living in semi-natural conditions at present. Is that correct? Do you know where the beaver 'kits' Mark mentioned above are living?
Yes they stated they were in Gloucester, they were at "Lower mill Estate", also they said they had been released three years before. They said some of the local farmers were not to keen on the idea. There is a video online at the BBC news (nature) section about them.
What other "natives" are they thinking of releasing back into the UK, wild boar maybe or other species?
Wild boar already exist in parts of Great Britain, having renaturalised themselves. There is talk about wolves being released in Scotland but a lot of people are against that. Then there is the sea eagle which has been successfully re instated in parts of the scottish coastline.
I think in this case 'released' means let loose into a large enclosure on this private estate. I'm sure its still illegal to introduce them into the wild at present.
yes, there are about five main colonies of freeliving/feral Wild Boar, most of them in Southern England and nearly all originating from escapes from 'Boar farms' The biggest and longest established group is in Sussex/Kent, actually within close range of Port Lympne. But there is now talk of reducing the numbers or eradicating some groups. If you want to know more there's a website- 'Wild Boar in Britain', I think it is.
That is the case, the beavers are living semi wild. Defra as far as am aware are still not sure what effect they may have on other species and plantlife if they were reintroduced. I suppose if enough data is collected from the semi wild beavers they can make a more informed decision.
There is a very excellent article in the BBC Wildlife magazine about British attitudes to wildlife and the impact that they have on peoples lives. According to the author many europeans, who still co-exist with beaver, wildboar, wolves etc wonder why the British have so much trouble living with animals.
I think its a case of what you have you accept as the norm, but anything'new' is viewed with a certain amount of suspicion. In Europe these species are just an accepted fact of life like Roe Deer, Foxes or rabbits in the Uk and no one thinks twice about them. The wild boar in the Uk are on the way to reaching that situation already, at least in the truly feral colonies such as the Kent/Sussex one where they have reverted to being mainly nocturnal and mostly living in private woodland, both of which comine to keep them from contact with people. However, they do grub up farmland and farmers aren't happy about this obviously.
I imagine they'd be less likely to come under human pressure to remove them in remoter areas like Scotland. But I think the mixed deciduous woodlands of Southern Britain are probably more typical habitat for them,perhaps giving a richert food supply of bulbs, roots etc which is their main diet. I guess they can exist okay in Scotland, that big estate(Alladale) north of Inverness where the big reintroduction scheme is planned, already have boar. However they are essentially a woodland species and I wonder if Scotland is environmentally a bit harsh for them?
Unfortunately this story is a load of rubbish created by the media (with some prompting by those involved with the released animals). All 'released' beavers are at least kept in semi-captive conditions as stipulated by DEFRA. Many are given food as well as clearing natural vegetation, so to my mind they are no more wild than those kept in large zoos. That said beavers have been regularly bred by zoos in the UK, and some have even been involved in these release programs. I have seen natural activity (felled trees, covered tunnels) by beavers on a closed wet woodland site in Kent set up by Kent Wildlife Trust. Beautiful to see. Knowing what beavers do to the environment has been half the battle to have them released in the UK. Misinformation has been spread to suggest flooding and diminished fish stocks.
I have lived beside the group in the Forest of Dean (100+ individuals) and it is quite amazing how much damage they do! There were regular stories in the local paper about close sightings, damage to gardens (including by deer), threats to dogs, ground-nesting birds and lambs, debates about culling and even where people are able to touch them. Complete with photos. Believe me they are doing just fine next to people. It is the people that need to learn how to live beside them. Better fencing of gardens and to not go half-cocked with a gun when a boar shows it's snout in suburbia. Kids on dirt-bikes were more of a threat in the woods.
Haven't most Uk breedings of captive beavers in zoos been of the American/Canadian ones? So this 'first breeding' claim could still be true. Dam building by Beavers slows the water current of rivers and streams naturally create a system of ponds and marshland(called Muskeg in Canada) which benefits the landscape rather than harming it. However I'm not sure if European Beaver build dams- they don't where they exist on big rivers like the Rhone.
Wish I had some on my doorstep.. I've seen a number of photos of the Forest of Dean boar-despite having been at large a number of years they still seem to be tame and at least partially diurnal in habit. Most information says when released into the wild they 'quickly revert to nocturnal behaviour, particularly if persecuted' so shooting them doesn't seem to be the case in this instance? What is the current official policy with the Forest of Dean population. Are they being encouraged, controlled or what?
ahhh... well I've seen the signs of them, just not in person. Unfortunately. So not necessarily that tame. Rumour has it that the Dean boars aren't very pure and what you see are really feral pigs maybe boar crosses. Difficult to tell, and I have worked with the real thing. The current policy is 'not really sure'. Some quarters would like a cull to control, others to completely remove. Most residents actually quite like the idea of wild boar in the forest because it doesn't affect them. Defra is yet to make up its mind.
Not at all. Most of the beavers in the country, certainly those in private hands in semi-wild conditions, are Europeans (previously yes there were more Canadians). I am not sure how many have bred, but they have been going for a number of years, so I'm sure they have bred. Beavers don't tend to dam up very large rivers, prefering smaller upshoot streams. It probably has alot to do with winter flooding. Europeans also seem to spend more time burrowing into banks then Canadians... not sure why. However they will mound up logs and vegetation into a dam too.
Yes, I have read that too. Maybe its a behavioural difference or maybe its jusyt on larger rivers and in quieter flowing streams in remoter areas they maybe do as much 'damming' as much as North American beaver?
