Trust hopes to bring back beavers

THE humble beaver was once a common feature of Surrey’s landscape, building dams and creating a strong and diverse habitat.

- By OLIVER RADCLIFFE

But after decades of hunting nearly 400 years ago, they were almost extinct on Britain’s shores.

In recent years the “ecosystem engineers” have been reintroduced in parts of Dorset, Devon, Cornwall, Wales, and Scotland earlier this year, and now Surrey Wildlife Trust wants in on the action.

Conservationists from the trust hope to be able to use the Eurasian beaver to “re-wet” parts of Surrey's landscape, helping improve diversity and create areas for the local habitat to thrive.

According to the trust, beavers have a whole range of positive impacts including acting as carbon sinks, helping to alleviate flooding and creating a whole range of new habitats.