Campaigners illegally releasing beavers into wild are 'doing God's work'
Campaign groups illegally releasing beavers into the wild say they are doing 'God's work' (Picture: Getty Images)
Activists who are releasing beavers into the wild say they are 'doing God's work'.
Campaign groups are risking jail by reintroducing the nocturnal mammals to nature by night.
Eurasian beavers were once widespread in the UK, but were made extinct in the 16th century by hunters who prized their fur, meat and scent glands.
Those wishing to reintroduce them to the wild either require a special licence or must follow a recently introduced legal route.
But campaigners say they have no choice but to cut through the bureaucracy in order to put the creatures, dubbed 'nature's engineers' in their 'proper place'.
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Farmers and landowners however worry that Beavers are difficult to control, with experts warning they can cause damage to property and infrastructure.
The National Farmers' Union said the revelation that groups were taking action in secret was 'deeply worrying' and 'irresponsible'.
Responding to concerns from the agricultural sector, activists say that Beavers can help clean up water and even prevent flooding.
Police have made arrests following the unlicensed release of illegal species, but none in relation to beavers, namely due to an absence of evidence.
While proponents of beaver reintroduction say they help prevent floods and clean water, they can also be a nuisance for farmers and landowners (Picture: Getty Images)
Wildlife crime enforcers are also concerned with the welfare of the animals involved, said Det Insp Mark Harrison from the National Wildlife Crime Unit.
He said that while he it can be beneficial to rewild beavers it had to be done 'properly'.
The scheme also depends on coexistence between the species and humans, he added.
'It brings about a lot of conflict and usually it's human-human conflict because of an animals', he told the BBC.
Activists' aims are being supported by government policy – at least in the long term.
By 2042, the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has a statutory target to develop 500,000 hectares of wildlife-rich habitat outside of protected sites.
In a policy paper published in February, Defra said that licensed releases need to 'demonstrate clear environmental benefits' and follow engagement with local landowners.
The first official legal release under Natural England's new licensing system was carried out by the National Trust earlier this year.
On March 5, a group of the creatures were relocated from Scotland to make their new home at the Purbeck Nature Reserve's Little Sea in Dorset.
Natural England is currently considering around 50 expressions of interest for wild beaver releases.
Among them was an application from Cornwall Wildlife Trust, which is looking to release the species at Helman Tor as part of an £800,000 project.
It said its site had been transformed since two beavers thought to have been illegally set free arrived and built dams.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
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