Enfield council’s baby beaver programme has seen the first sighting of a baby beaver in London in hundreds of years. The initiative is part of a natural flood management and rewilding project across the city. Capel Manor College, with the advice of the Beaver Trust, will capture the beaver to confirm its sex and conduct a routine health check.
Beavers were hunted to extinction in England, but rewilding projects have seen their reintroduction to some regions of the country. Enfield council’s cabinet member for the environment, Rick Jewell, has praised the efforts of the beavers, saying their creation of a natural wetland will provide excellent flood defences and promote biodiversity.
The young beaver sighting is significant for the rewilding project. Visitors to the wetland area have seen the developments the beavers are creating and the improvements they have made. Capel Manor College’s animal collections manager Meg Wilson says the baby beaver’s arrival is thrilling news and collecting data will provide valuable evidence to measure the beavers’ positive environmental impact.
Rewilding projects are becoming increasingly popular across Europe. Beavers offer a unique opportunity for these conservation techniques, as their dams have been shown to store large amounts of water, helping to prevent floods. As demonstrated by Enfield council’s project, beavers can help to create a more sustainable ecosystem by providing habitats for various species and stabilising local environments.
The reintroduction of beavers to London is a momentous occasion, with visitors to the area already benefitting from the beavers’ natural flood defences. With the continuation of the project, the rewilding movement in London may see an increase in diversity and regeneration in the area
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