All you need to know about beavers in Somerset. Read to find out more answers to our frequently asked questions...

For hundreds of years, the furry, paddle-tailed figure of the Eurasian beaver has been missing from the rivers of the UK. Once widespread, they were hunted to extinction for their fur, meat and scent-glands (used for making perfume). The last wild British beaver died in Scotland in the 16th century.

Beavers are a keystone species which means that they play a crucial role in how an ecosystem functions. By building dams, digging ditches and coppicing trees, beavers can alter their surroundings in a big way – and in a way that has many benefits for people and wildlife. Beavers can create large areas of water-retaining wetland, slowing the flow of streams and rivers and protecting the land downriver from flooding, as well as reducing silt and improving water quality. These restored wetlands also provide essential habitat for a wealth of plants and animals.

With these benefits, it’s easy to see why there is so much interest in bringing beavers back to the UK.

Eurasian beavers (Castor fiber) were hunted to extinction in Britain approximately 400 years ago. However, they have now returned across Britain, including enclosed and wild-living populations in Somerset. Find out more about our strategy for co-existence.

For hundreds of years, the furry, paddle-tailed figure of the Eurasian beaver has been missing from the rivers of the UK. Once widespread, they were hunted to extinction for their fur, meat and scent-glands (used for making perfume). The last wild British beaver died in Scotland in the 16th century.

Beavers are a keystone species which means that they play a crucial role in how an ecosystem functions. By building dams, digging ditches and coppicing trees, beavers can alter their surroundings in a big way – and in a way that has many benefits for people and wildlife. Beavers can create large areas of water-retaining wetland, slowing the flow of streams and rivers and protecting the land downriver from flooding, as well as reducing silt and improving water quality. These restored wetlands also provide essential habitat for a wealth of plants and animals.

With these benefits, it’s easy to see why there is so much interest in bringing beavers back to the UK.

Immense pressure from decades of pollution and habitat loss has driven wildlife into catastrophic decline.