Beavers in Knapdale: Scottish Beavers Reinforcement Project

The Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) has been extinct in mainland Britain since the 16th century. The Scottish Beaver Trial was the first licensed mammal reintroduction project in the UK, establishing a beaver population of Norwegian origin in Scotland’s Knapdale forest. However, the population was small, with low genetic diversity threatening it with extirpation. The Scottish Beavers reinforcement project was designed to mitigate this risk. Following extensive public consultation and genetic sampling, the project released 21 beavers of Bavarian origin with more, different genetic diversity to Knapdale between 2017 and 2020. The reinforcement was a success, with subsequent monitoring finding increased breeding and new lochs occupied. Additionally, genetic sampling has indicated significantly higher genetic diversity in the population compared to before the translocation, improving the population’s resilience. The project has acted as a template for other translocations and informed Scotland’s Beaver Strategy 2022-2045.

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