Beaver Families Win Legal ‘Right to Remain’ In East Devon Habitat

Families of beavers will be legally allowed to live in an east Devon habitat on the Otter River.

In a history-making first, an extinct England-native mammal has been granted an official legal right to remain in the country, according to the BBC. In a mix of both research and conservation efforts, the beavers are the first to live in the wild of southeastern England in centuries. 

Last week, the beaver families were given “permission” from the government and the right to remain in their reestablished colony in the Otter River. England has not seen beavers naturally breeding in the wild for 400 years, and for the first time beavers have been legally allowed to stay after their reintroduction to England. 

Beavers have been extinct in England since the 16th century, due to the over-hunting of the animals, according to ZME Science. Beavers were plentiful in Europe and western Asia for centuries, but around the beginning of the 20th century, only about 1,200 beavers were still inhabiting the area. 

Then, in 2013, a family of beavers was found on the Otter River in Devon, England, the BBC reported. Nobody knows how the beavers arrived in England, because it is known that they were scarce in the area, if not nonexistent.

In any case, the government had plans to remove the beaver families. 

A local branch of the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts called The Devon Wildlife Trust decided to intervene and help save the beavers, the Independent reported.

The Devon Wildlife Trust and a few other organisations, including the University of Exeter, were given the chance to have a five-year trial period to study the beavers and how they affect the surrounding wildlife, according to the BBC. The beavers were allowed to stay based on the outcome of this trial.

The researchers studied the beavers for five years and weighed the pros and cons of their effects on the habitat.

Beavers like deep water and they are expert dam and pool builders. They have a knack for building intricate houses complete with underwater entryways.

Their affinity for building means the beavers shape their habitats to their tastes. After the five-year trial, the researchers determined the beavers had more positive effects on the environment than negative ones. 

The researchers have concluded the beavers have helped both the natural ecosystem and even human communities.

The researchers found that the beavers supported the local ecosystem helping the environment, animals and humans in the area, The Guardian reported.

Fish and amphibian populations have been boosted.

The beavers’ presence has increased the fish populations and enhanced the quality of the water. Beavers do not feast on fish as many people believe — they are herbivores.

The increased biomass of fish supports the otter population giving them more food to eat. 

The beavers created new wetlands, and the dams and pools made by the beavers filtered the water, reducing pollutants and making the water clearer, according to ZME Science.

The dams are also natural structures that prevent flooding, helping local houses.

Aside from filtering pollutants, the dams also help farmers because they prevent topsoil from being washed away by the river.

In fact, the beaver dams are said to help both flooding and droughts, according to The Guardian. The dams not only slow flooding but also hold water storage during droughts.

The success of the reintroduction team partly relied on the local communities including farmers. The research team has been involved with locals and explained the benefits of having beaver families in the Otter River. 

For now, there are about 15 beaver families on the river, including a total of about 50 beavers and kits and they have earned the right to remain.

With the beavers doing a lot of good in the ecosystem, the beavers may flourish and repopulate for the first time in centuries.

What is your opinion about the beavers having the right to remain? Do you think they should have had the right to remain with or without the five-year trial? Let us know in the comments.

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