Beavers in Britain

Reintroductions and translocations of Eurasian beaver have now taken place in more than 25 European countries. They began in the 1920s in Sweden, Norway, Latvia, Russia and the Ukraine and continued throughout the 1980s and 1990s in the Netherlands, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia.

Reintroductions usually involve the release of animals over a number of years to several sites. Most have been successful in terms of breeding, population growth and range expansion.

More than 150 translocations have now been undertaken across Europe, most without the detailed monitoring carried out by the Scottish Beaver Trial and other British projects, but some have been thoroughly studied, enabling scientists to predict with confidence the likely pattern of events post reintroduction. Experts and volunteers across Europe are able to manage problems that sometimes occur, for example in areas of arable production.

Some Wildlife Trusts across the UK have successfully released beavers in their areas. This also includes two wild releases - the Scottish Beaver Trial and River Otter Beaver Trial. Through these trials, Wildlife Trusts have gained excellent insights and knowledge of beavers in the wider landscape, both of which have been backed by independent scientific evidence.

Find out more about reintroduction projects around Britain from different Wildlife Trusts below. This includes a report by The Wildlife Trusts about beaver reintroductions and a report from Devon Wildlife Trust looking at the River Otter Beaver Trial - a 5-year trial reintroduction of Eurasian beavers into the wild in south east Devon.

Read more 

Yes, wild beavers are already present in some of our rivers and wetlands, and we will increase monitoring of beavers on our waterways to determine their impact.

Beaver populations typically spread very slowly. They are shy and keep a low profile and in many areas they can go for a long period before their activity is noticed.  They are very territorial and this regulates their populations - even killing rival beavers if they stray on their patch.  They only breed once a year and have an average of three kits which are vulnerable to predation. Their numbers don’t extend in a prolific manner. And once they are present, they do not move far from rivers and streams so their activity is largely restricted to approximately 30m away from their water source.

No, Wiltshire Wildlife Trust does not currently have any beaver reintroduction/release plans in the county. However, we are exploring a whole range of nature based solutions to tackle the ecological and climate crises, and we cannot rule out beaver reintroductions in the future as part of this wider approach. Currently, a lot of our work is focused on restoring wetlands and rivers, and these habitat enhancements will benefit beavers alongside a host of other wetland species.

There is now much evidence to demonstrate that as a natural ‘ecosystem engineer’ beavers can deliver multiple positive benefits for biodiversity, alongside alleviating the impacts of climate change, flooding, droughts and pollution. Beavers are key to creating thriving wetland ecosystems, and so we support the beaver reintroduction projects taking place at other Wildlife Trusts across the UK.

Beavers can modify the habitats and landscapes they live in through coppicing, feeding and in some cases damming (beavers living on lakes or rivers have little need of constructing dams). However in many cases when they are living at low density, their impacts can be remarkably subtle and go unnoticed for many years.

Evidence from Europe shows that shows that beaver impacts are, in the vast majority of cases, small-scale and localised. Beavers are not normally regarded as pests in Europe and where localised problems have occurred, there are a number of well-established mitigation methods that have been adopted. These include the removal of dams, the introduction of overflow piping, or the installation of fencing (as one does for deer and rabbits). In some cases, the removal and translocation of beavers could be considered. Some countries with sustainable beaver populations permit seasonal hunting and/or lethal control as legitimate management strategies.

As herbivores, beavers eat a wide range of vegetation and this can include trees.  They forage close to water with activity usually concentrated within 20 metres of the water’s edge. Beavers do selectively fell broad-leaved trees and bushes to reach upper branches, to encourage regrowth, to eat the bark during the winter and to construct their lodges and dams.

Many tree species regenerate, which diversifies the surrounding habitat structure and create areas of mixed-height, mixed-age vegetation that benefits many wildlife species. Coppicing has been practiced by foresters throughout history as a method to manage bankside trees. The actions of beavers are very similar, meaning woodlands and trees are more naturally managed. Where needed, there are methods to protect special trees from unwanted attention from beavers including mesh guards and anti-game paint.

Beavers rarely eat conifers, although the odd conifer might be gnawed by an immature animal that has not learned that conifers are unpalatable and that its resin gums up their teeth. They generally do not live in water entirely surrounded by conifers.

By creating dams and associated wetlands in headwater streams, beavers store floodwater in upper catchments, moderating water flows. This reduces the height of flood peaks and also ameliorates low flows during dry periods as the leaking dams recharge streams with fresh constant flows. For those landowners impacted, these dams can cause localised “flooding” or raised water levels in wetland habitats. The size of these ponds and wetlands can be restricted by the use of flow devices where pipes set the maximum height of the dam, and thus the area of land flooded.

Beavers rarely build dams in main rivers downstream where there is sufficient depth of water, and so many of the concerns about flooding are not real. However in low lying floodplains where agricultural activities depend on land drains and deep ditches, beaver dams can have more significant impacts. They can obstruct culverts and “restore wetlands” in places that are not compatible with the existing land-uses and therefore create real, and perceived conflicts. 

Evidence from elsewhere in Europe shows that instances of beaver dams creating undesirable flooding are uncommon, localised and usually small-scale. In these situations dams are simply removed or pipes (‘beaver deceivers’) are placed through them to manage water levels.

Beavers are herbivorous, so do not eat fish. Habitat modification by beavers, however, could have impacts on fish populations in some circumstances, and fisheries groups may be concerned about the potential impact of beaver dams on the movement of migratory fish.

The interaction between beaver activity and freshwater fisheries has been the subject of several reviews. Based on the combined results of an independent and systematic review of the literature and survey of expert opinion, Kemp et al. (2012) concluded that:

Benefits (184) were cited more frequently than costs (119)

Impacts were spatially and temporally variable and differed with species.

The most frequently cited benefits of beaver dams were increased habitat heterogeneity, rearing and overwintering habitat; flow refuge; and invertebrate production.

The most frequently cited negative impacts were impeded fish movement because of dams; siltation of spawning gravels (particularly for salmonids); and low oxygen levels in ponds.

The majority of 49 North American and European experts (more than 60% of whom described themselves as fisheries scientists or managers) considered beavers to have an overall positive impact on fish populations, through their influence on abundance and productivity.

Wildlife licences are usually required by farmers, landowners, fishery managers, foresters and land or water managers to modify or remove beaver dams.

Actions to prevent beaver problems that may be taken by landowners without a license can include:

• Leaving a 10-30m buffer strip or making a natural space for beavers near the water’s edge
• Installing beaver fencing (permission from the local risk management authority may be required)
• Using tree protection

Visit the Natural England website to find out more about beaver licence requirements and what other actions can be taken by landowners without a license.

Find out more 

Or contact Natural England directly here.

• Beavers are vegetarians. They do not eat fish. In fact, they are known to co-exist well with them, boosting fish populations. Beavers snack on riverside plants, grasses, as well as tree bark and shoots.
• Beavers feel safest in still, deep water (around 70cm). They are very unlikely to stray far from it and will create dams if the water levels aren't as deep as they would like them to be.
• Where beavers go – more wildlife will follow. Beavers create diverse wetland habitats that can provide a home for a wide range of wildlife such as amphibians, water voles, dragonflies, birds and even plants.
• Eurasian beaver dams vary in size and structure. In many cases they are small temporary structures made of twigs, which gradually break down as water levels rise. In others, they can be larger stable structures that create big ponds. Both water and fish are able to move through and around them and they are not the huge dam structures made by the North American beaver.
• Beavers can reduce flooding. Beaver dams slow the flow of water; in storms more water is stored; in droughts more water is available. The potential for beavers to reduce flooding and maintain baseflows downstream is significant.
• Beavers can improve water quality. Impoundment of water behind dams can positively affect the quality of water by diffusing pollutants being transported downstream. Their dams act as sediment traps cleaning our waters.

Contact Oak and Furrows on 01793 640136 (option 2 then option 5).

They can offer an initial assessment and first aid, and will then contact RSPCA Wildlife department to arrange transport to a more suitable rehab facility. Oak and Furrows are currently able to house beavers for 24 hours.