Returning to Nature: UK Beavers Surviving Near-Extinction
Scientists said beavers are making a comeback in the UK, along with other species.
Despite the UK government announcing on 27th October that the “reintroduction of species is not a priority,” certain animals have returned from nearly disappearing forever. This statement sparked outrage amongst environmental groups.
Joan Edwards, policy director at The Wildlife Trusts, stated, “reintroducing wildlife must be part of the UK government’s arsenal for tackling nature loss and climate change – it is astonishing there is no strategy for doing so.”
As well as beavers, water voles, white-tailed eagles, wild boar, black-veined white butterflies, and pine martins’ numbers have reportedly increased in the UK’s wilderness.
Beavers in Urban Parks?
A recent report by Nature England published the Green Infrastructure Framework, a tool for local planning authorities to build “nature-rich” greenspaces in urban areas.
The organization states that ‘blue spaces’, “including lakes, reservoirs, rivers, canals, ponds, streams, and wetlands,” are one of the building blocks for greenspaces. These areas could benefit beavers.
Mixed Reviews on the Mammals
Among the species reappearing in the wild is the beaver, which conservationists started reintroducing in western Scotland in 2009.
Edwards said protecting beavers has more benefits than just stopping a species from extinction. She explained that the mammals can “reduce flood risks to towns and villages” by slowing water currents.
“The return of wild beavers can help to recreate lost wetlands, with a knock-on effect that benefits other wildlife, including insects, invertebrates and birds. Beavers also slow the flow of water, which can reduce flood risks to towns and villages,” the environmental activist said.
In October, the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs Committee chief said he was “disappointed” with the government’s stance on rewilding. However, the cross-party MP group leader expressed that there are cases where beavers have damaged crops by building dams there.
“We’ve got places like the Somerset Levels and the Fens in Lincolnshire where if we don’t protect the watercourses (from beavers) there we could see flooding,” added Sir Robert.
Ecologist Lina Röschel of the Ecologic Institute found that in Europe, “the Eurasian Beaver population was mainly caused by over-hunting for fur, meat and castoreum.” She also said wetland habitat loss reduced beaver numbers.
Despite these obstacles beavers have had to overcome, Röschel said, “Landscapes altered by beavers offer new habitat for other species.”
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