Beaver family spared death now thriving in wild

A FAMILY of five beavers are settling into their new home after being rescued from a farm where they were due to be shot.

The beavers, including three seven-monthold kits, have been seen playing near ponds at Argaty Red Kites, a farm and visitor attraction near Doune in Perthshire, since their release into the wild last week.

Mum Tulla, dad Mull and kits Skye, Iona and Arran were brought from Tayside, where the Scottish Government’s nature quango NatureScot had issued beaver-killing licences to prevent damage to farmland. The move, carried out by charity Beaver Trust, came after NatureScot approved Argaty’s application to spare the animals and have them taken to ponds on its property.

Argaty is the first private site to legally release beavers into the wild in Scotland since they were hunted to extinction here about 400 years ago. And the transfer is the first of its kind since the native species was reintroduced as part of the Scottish Beaver Trial in 2009.

Another beaver family and an adult beaver pair – also subject to killing licences – will be moved to Argaty in the coming months.

Tom Bowser, owner of Argaty, said: ‘Our beavers seem to be settling in nicely, playing and exploring the area.

‘Our camera traps have picked up some lovely footage and on one occasion we saw all three kits chasing each other around the pond and coming out for food. We’re hoping they like it here and will stay and create a massive sprawling wetland filled with wildlife.’ Beavers create wetlands that can benefit other wildlife, reduce flooding and improve water quality, but the animals can also cause damage to farmland.

Dr Nigel Wilby, professor of freshwater ecology at the University of Stirling, said: ‘The release of beavers at Argaty is something to really celebrate, but we look forward to the day when this is the norm, not the exception.’