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After 400 years, beavers have finally returned to this pretty English town

The cute mega-rodents will help maintain a wetland habitat in Shrewsbury

Written by
Caitlin Barr
Contributor
A Eurasian beaver
Photograph: Shutterstock
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Most run and scream when they hear the word ‘rodent’, thinking of mice nibbling at wires or rats scrabbling in walls. But one rodent breed, famed for its dam-building and gnawing skills, can have a much more positive impact – and even help protect habitats at risk. Enter the biggest rodent in Europe: the beaver, which has been enlisted to protect vital wetland in Shrewsbury. 

Two Eurasian beavers have been introduced to the picturesque Shropshire town’s Old River Bed nature reserve. The couple travelled to Shrewsbury from Scotland, and now live in the 37 acre Site of Special Scientific Interest, owned by the council. They’re tasked with gnawing away at pesky fast-growing trees like willows, which put the habitat at risk of drying out. 

The nature reserve had previously been maintained by contractors and, at one point, longhorn cattle, but both of those solutions were proving costly. The beavers will protect the wetland plants while also benefiting local bird, fish and insect populations with their presence. 

Shropshire Wildlife Trust volunteers will make sure they’re settling into their new home, and  the area surrounding their enclosure has been closed for a week so they aren’t disturbed by the public.

Beavers went extinct in Britain in the 16th century, hunted for their meat, fur and scent glands, which contain essential oils used in perfumes. They were successfully reintroduced in Scotland in 2009, and are now considered a native species there once again. There are beaver colonies in Devon, Cornwall, and other areas across Britain, in a mixture of wild groups and captive release schemes.

Tom Freeland, Shropshire Wildlife Trust's head of nature reserves, said: ‘Alongside the improvements to the site’s habitat, a release into a secure area in Shrewsbury will build understanding and confidence around reintroducing beavers, and help to inform any future release projects in Shropshire and urban sites across Britain.’

It’s not just beavers being brought back: Scotland might be getting wolves

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