Beavers could make a comeback after 500 years
BEAVERS could be reintroduced to Welsh rivers for the first time in more than 500 years under plans by wildlife lovers.
The animals were hunted to extinction in the Middle Ages but environment chiefs are looking at proposals to reintroduce them to the wild.
Beavers have been reintroduced to rivers in Scotland and Devon, and the Welsh Wildlife Trust want to bring 10 pairs Carmarthenshire.
Welsh Wildlife Trust beaver project officer Alicia Leow-Dyke said the reintroduction of the animals would benefit both water quality and local eco-systems.
She said: “This would be the first time beavers have been in the wild in Wales for hundreds of years.
“They would be a keystone species and by building dams they can benefit of beavers to whole eco-systems. You will see more fish, more mammals, and insects – they provide a boost to all wildlife.
“They also filter the water by building dams, which helps improve water quality and lowers pollution, providing a benefit for humans.
“It is very exciting. Beavers went extinct in the Middle Ages due to over-hunting – they were hunted for their fur, meat, teeth and claws. The project in Scotland and at the River Otter in Devon have been successful and we want to do the same in Wales.”
The Welsh Wildlife Trust has submitted a licence application in connection with conservation charity the Bevis Trust to bring back the beavers.
A decision by environment chiefs Natural Resources Wales is expected to be made before Christmas.