Beaver project wins the top title at magazine awards

The return of Eurasian beavers has won a public vote to be named the Wildlife Success Story of the Year.

The species was one of four shortlisted in the category at the 2017 BBC Countryfile Magazine Awards, following its successful reintroduction to Scotland.

The award has been welcomed by the Scottish Wildlife Trust and Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, the two lead partners in the Scottish Beaver Trial.

Susan Davies, director of conservation at the trust, said: “The reintroduction of beavers to our lochs and rivers is a true success story, a milestone for conservation, and a huge opportunity for restoring important habitats. I’d like to thank the thousands of people who gave the species their support and helped beavers to win this important award.”

Andrew Bachell, director of policy and advice at Scottish Natural Heritage, said: “Reintroducing a species, absent for many centuries, takes a lot of work from many dedicated partners.

“It was a pleasure to be involved in this project alongside the Scottish Wildlife Trust, Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, and many others who played important roles. The return of beavers to Scotland is great news for Scotland’s nature with benefits to many habitats and species.”

The Scottish Government announced in November 2016 that the species would be formally recognised as a native species, 400 years after being hunted to extinction in the UK.

This makes it the first formal mammal reintroduction in UK history.

It is estimated that there are around 200 beavers in Tayside.