We’re very excited to report that RSPB Scotland was involved in an important project to move a family of Beavers to the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park.
These industrious rodents are known as ‘nature’s engineers’, because they help to create a variety of different habitats. By building dams they create shelter and spawning areas for fish, and their handiwork also forms ditches and complicated underwater structures which offer a home for a wide variety of creatures, including dragonflies and other insects. These in turn are eaten by birds, mammals and amphibians. Otters and Water Voles benefit from the wetland habitats Beavers create too.
The Beavers’ actions also reduce downstream flooding, as the water courses they create hold water and release it very slowly, reducing the amount of sediment that flows downstream. Wetlands help to trap carbon too, which is important for mitigating the effects of climate change.
The Beavers that were moved to the national park were relocated from an area where they were causing some disruption to a place where they will bring a huge amount of benefits. A vet at Five Sisters Zoo checked the Beavers over thoroughly to ensure that they were healthy before they could be released.
Following their introduction, we’re monitoring the Beavers closely to see how they fare. We hope their arrival will mark the start of Beaver populations expanding further in Scotland.
This translocation was made possible with support from NatureScot.
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