<
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/sep/30/baby-beaver-born-in-london-for-first-time-in-400-years>
"A baby beaver has been photographed in London for the first time in 400 years,
18 months after an initiative began to reintroduce the species to the capital.
Enfield council began London’s beaver reintroduction programme last year as
part of a wider rewilding and natural flood-management project.
The semi-aquatic rodents were hunted to extinction in the 16th century during
the Elizabethan era as they were predominantly killed for their fur and meat.
Capel Manor college, a special environmental college, with advice from the
Beaver Trust, will give the beaver a comprehensive health check with an
experienced exotic-animal vet. The animal’s sex has yet to be established.
Rick Jewell, Enfield council’s cabinet member for the environment, told the
Daily Telegraph: “The beavers’ hard work creating a natural wetland ecosystem
will contribute to excellent flood defences, protecting the local area and
hundreds of homes from flooding downstream to the south-east of the borough,
while encouraging biodiversity.”
Meg Wilson, Capel Manor college’s animal collections manager, said: “We are
thrilled [about] this new arrival.
“We have seen the developments the beavers are [involved in] and the
improvements they have made to the wetland area. We are now focusing our
efforts on collecting data, which we hope will provide further evidence about
the positive effects the beavers are having on the environment.”
The project could see the mammals inhabit a 10-acre area of parkland in Ealing,
west London. People in London will be able to go on “beaver safaris” to see the
creatures as part of the rewilding project."
Via
Future Crunch:
https://futurecrunch.com/226-eighth-continent/
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
