Beavers are returning to the UK after 400 years

This morning, the BBC reported an extraordinary event – a beaver was filmed in the River Dyfi. It’s the first such sighting in Wales in centuries, and conservationists greeted it with emotion and enthusiasm. All signs indicate that beavers are finally making a triumphant return to the British Isles.

The first wild beaver family?

Welsh naturalist and BBC presenter Iolo Williams shared that he had received a tip about a beaver’s presence along a section of the Dyfi River near the town of Machynlleth. When he arrived with a film crew, a beaver was indeed visible in its full glory on the opposite riverbank. The animal appeared relaxed and calmly swam away when it noticed humans.

“The last people to see beavers in Wales were the princes who wiped them out,” Williams remarked, adding that the sighting holds enormous significance for the local environment. It’s still unclear where the media-famous animal came from, though local residents claim to have seen several individuals in the same river area.

Alicia Leow-Dyke of Wildlife Trust Wales confirmed that traces had previously been found suggesting a whole beaver family may be living in the region.

Wales fights for beavers

In August 2024, the Welsh government began considering granting beavers protected status, following appeals from national conservation organizations to release the animals from captive centers into the wild. Activists argue that beaver reintroduction could greatly benefit Welsh ecosystems by improving river water quality and supporting regional biodiversity.

Dr. Robert Needham from the Beaver Trust said that the work of these “animal engineers” could help the UK restore lost wetlands. He emphasized the importance of this effort, especially in light of increasingly frequent flash floods and prolonged summer droughts. However, not everyone is in favor – critics claim that beaver dams increase the risk of flooding farmland and consider the animals pests.

Beavers are returning to England and Scotland too

The beaver comeback is also being observed in England, where in February the government officially decided to reintroduce the species. Beavers were completely wiped out 400 years ago due to hunting – at the time, their fur and meat were highly prized. Unofficial statistics suggest that around 500 beavers now live in England, although many are kept in enclosed areas.

The current plan involves the controlled release of beavers into natural environments under the supervision of Natural England, a government-affiliated body. However, the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) is calling for the right to trap the rodents if their activities begin to threaten agriculture or infrastructure.

As part of a pilot project on the River Otter in Devon, led by the Devon Wildlife Trust, numerous dams and lodges have been built over the past decade. The newly formed habitats have attracted a wide range of species including great egrets, kingfishers, amphibians, endangered water voles, and many butterflies. The local ecosystem has regained vitality and is now teeming with life.

In Scotland, beaver reintroduction took place between 2009 and 2020 and resulted in a stable population of around 1,500 animals. The initiative, called the Scottish Beaver Trail, was one of the largest of its kind in Europe. The current priority is to safeguard the species’ natural potential. To this end, Scotland’s Beaver Strategy 2022–2045 outlines detailed monitoring and population management measures in case of sudden growth.