Nature boost in Perthshire as second group of beavers moved to Argaty - Beaver Trust
A second family of beavers was moved to a Perthshire family farm on 11th February, reinforcing the five beavers already relocated there in November last year and boosting the biodiversity of this special area.
The five beavers were moved to the Argaty Red Kite centre near Doune. The move, known as a translocation, was carried out by our team at Beaver Trust.
This is only the second translocation site authorised in Scotland; the first was the beaver reintroduction trial site in Knapdale in Argyll. The beavers were trapped and taken under licence from areas where they are causing serious agricultural damage for farmers and where mitigation measures have not been successful or are not possible.
Tom Bowser, owner of Argaty Red Kites, said: “We are thrilled to be Scotland’s first private site to legally release beavers into the wild. It will be so exciting to see how they enhance biodiversity on our farm.”
Beaver dams create nature-rich wetlands that benefit many other species, including amphibians, invertebrates and fish. The dams also improve water quality, moderate water flows and reduce downstream flooding. In addition, selective felling of trees by beavers can increase the biodiversity within riparian woodland. For example, one anticipated benefit at Argaty is the reduced shading of pond edges, which will improve habitat for breeding damselflies and dragonflies.
Donald Fraser, NatureScot’s Head of Wildlife Management, added: “Beavers can play an important role in helping to restore biodiversity and respond to the climate emergency in Scotland. Projects like this one at Argaty also allow beavers to be trapped and removed from highly productive agricultural land where they are causing damage to farmland and released in an area where nature will benefit and there is less risk to agriculture.”
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Posted On: 14/02/2022