Devon’s wild beavers one step closer to freedom
Campaigners are waiting with bated breath for the results of testing which will determine the future of Britain’s wild beaver colony.
Four adult beavers from the River Otter group have successfully been captured and tested for a range of diseases which will dictate whether they can remain in their North Devon habitat.
The tests were carried out on Monday and initial examinations have confirmed that the animals are free of Echinococcus multilocularis (EM) – a disease which has the potential to be harmful to humans.
Although the results of further mandatory tests have not yet come back, a spokesman for the Devon Wildlife Ttrust said they expect them to be returned “very soon”.
I love the flower-child picture. It’s perfect for the occasion. This news just sparkles to me, like sunlight on the water. It means not only did the residents of Devon successfully FORCE DEFRA to change course on the beavers, but the farmers also kept their whereabouts hidden until they did so, and now the beavers are successfully found, trapped and tested as if by magic! The inevitability of beavers in England is looming closer and closer. And to top it off I received this Email from Derek Gow this morning:
Hi Heidi – sorry away for the last few days. Basically the situation is this – 5 beavers captured 2 pairs plus a single kit from a litter of three with one pair. The other pair has a remaining single kit on the river. There are another 2 known kits on the river plus a 2 year old which has not been captured so total is 4 adults, 1 2 year old and 4 kits. The adults were screened for EM on Monday and don’t have it. We now have permission for their rerelease and are waiting for a final blood test for Bovine TB prior to releasing them back into their territories.
We are assembling another 2 unrelated pairs now for release in the summer to bolster this population. So all so far so good. One of the senior govt chaps who we had a big fight with a year ago came with his wife on Saturday and said how pleased he was now that this project which he thinks could make a real difference in now proceeding. Its all therefore pretty cheerful at the moment.
I was going to get in touch to thank you again Heidi for inviting us to what turned out to be a remarkable conference. We are really looking seriously at having a beaver festival in Ottery this year to celebrate their return. Would there be any chance you could send me your presentation with if poss an explanation of what you did as I would like to show it to the folk who may help ?
BW and thanks again !!! Derek
In my years as beaver cheerleader I’ve helped many cities push towards a new way of thinking on beavers, and even inspired some beaver festivals in Utah, Maine, Colorado and Canada. But this is THE BEST NEWS i’ve ever had the joy of contributing to. Beavers ready for release and cheerful good will from the officials is the best possible outcome. And I cannot WAIT to put together a slide show that Derek can share with folks in Devon to think about a beaver festival in Ottery.
Wouldn’t you want to go?
This good news follows hard on the heels of a very successful talk at the Salmonid conference yesterday. The water-defenders gathered there were all creek champions of the highest order, folks boldly understanding what it means to both compromise and challenge for 20 years at a time, turning concrete trapezoidal channels into living streams and looking at the world like an intricate patchwork quilt identifiable by watersheds.
They had all accomplished a lot and knew a lot and knew enough to look forward to beavers. The new Contra Costa flood control fellow (replacing the one who had served on the beaver subcommittee) was actually presenting at the conference, and got to hear my talk as well! Riley’s role in the workshop was such that she was both revered by everyone and enthusiastically glad I was there so I had every possible platform to start from. And my talk was very well received with more laughter, oohs and ahhs in more places than I have run into yet. There were eager questions, happy praise and one fellow promised to trade off two adult salmon for a pair of adult beavers. The man after me began his talk by bemoaning his fate at being put on the schedule having to follow “the best presentation of the day”.
I was very happy. We pretty much beamed our way home.
It was a successful but fairly exhausting day, and I’m looking forward to a very, very quiet weekend. Here’s hoping that any more good news about beavers decides to wait a day or two before jumping into the pile. I think I need the rest.
The lead photo and suffusing good mood just call for this soundtrack. Change the lyrics to “They call me Eager Beaver” and you have a eco-hit just waiting to happen.
