THE European beaver (Castor fiber) is probably the most innocuous of the larger mammals that have been or might be reintroduced to the British countryside. This large, vegetarian rodent with an incredible work ethic has been absent from British waterways for some 400 years, having been hunted to extinction for its fur, castoreum and meat, which is said to taste like grass-fed beef.
This situation was not unique to Britain. The beaver became a threatened species in Europe, its population reaching a frighteningly low 1,200 animals after the Second World War. After a great reintroduction effort, however, the beaver is once again well established across most of its former range and the Inter-national Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies its status as of ‘least concern’.
The UK has been slow to join other nations’ enthusiasm over re-establishing this ecoengineer. Many of the Continental reintroductions were in the 1960s, whereas the first notable occasion that beavers popped up in Blighty was in the early 2000s, on the River Tay catchment in Perthshire, Scotland. Unfortunately, this was either an accidental or an illegal release into a highly productive agricultural area. Farmers bore the brunt of the beavers’ drain-blocking, which led to waterlogged fields, and digging, which resulted in the collapse of their tunnels when machinery passed over them. As a consequence, the rodents were shot and the experiment caused resentment and opposition to an official reintroduction.
Denne historien er fra July 26, 2023-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra July 26, 2023-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
