We're delighted that scientific trial to release beavers into enclosure gets go-ahead in Cumbria
Beavers, a native species in Britain which became extinct in the 16th century, will soon be reintroduced to Cumbria in an enclosed scientific trial. Cumbria Beaver Group (CBG), which includes Cumbria Wildlife Trust, has announced that a licence application by a landowner in Cumbria has just been approved by the Department of Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
David Harpley, Chair of Cumbria Beaver Group and Conservation Manager at Cumbria Wildlife Trust said: “It is great news that Eurasian beavers will be returning to the county. Evidence from trials elsewhere in the UK shows that they offer great benefits, including flood risk alleviation, improved water quality, habitat creation for other wildlife and increased revenue for the local economy through nature-based tourism.
“This is the first beaver trial in the North West of England. We’re looking into the feasibility of setting up a camera to live stream the beaver activity once they’ve been released. This would mean people could watch them close up from the comfort of their laptop or phone.”
The enclosed trial will take place at Lowther Estate in the Eden Valley. David Bliss from Lowther Estate said: “This will be a trial release to assess how beavers can restore small, modified streams within a farmed landscape and will be done under the conditions of a licence from DEFRA. We are delighted that Lowther Estate has been granted a licence for this exciting project and look forward to finding out the results from this scientific trial. There have been trials elsewhere in the country, but this trial will look specifically at how beavers fare in an upland environment.”
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Posted On: 15/01/2020