Beavers return to Scotland after absence of 400 years

[brentspeak]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/scotland/article6383168.ece

From The Times
May 29, 2009
Beavers return to Scotland after absence of 400 years
A European beaver

European beavers are being released in Scotland
Mike Wade

More than 400 years of Scottish history were rolled back last night when two families of European beavers were released into the wild beside a loch in Knapdale, Argyllshire.

For many environmentalists, this was a joyful moment, another small step in a long battle to recreate the biodiversity of wilderness Scotland, lost in large part to centuries of change. For their opponents — often drawn from commercial fishing interests — it was a disaster, a furry threat to a £100 million fishing business.

To illustrate their concerns, British fishing associations distributed photographs yesterday of a beaver dam already in Scotland. The man-sized dam was built by a colony of beavers kept by the wildlife enthusiast Paul Ramsay at his 1,300-acre Bamff Castle estate near Alyth, Perthshire.

[bleever]

1. I hope to get back there someday too.

Good luck, beavers.

[Sedona]

2. Alert Momma & the Mooks!

[WillParkinson]

3. That's cool...

I hear people like to see beaver every now and then.

And he looks so cute.

[InvisibleTouch]

4. Good - I hope they do well! n/t

[NV Whino]

5. Well, let's see what they say

when the few trees that Scotland boasts are felled by the beavers.

[Nihil]

9. "few"?

I see your geography skills match your compassion for
animal rehabilitation ...
:P

[NV Whino]

10. I see you've never been to Scotland

and you know nothing about beavers. ;)

[Nihil]

13. Well you're definitely wrong on your first guess ...

... but a bit closer with your second.

I know quite a lot about Scotland (been in different parts of it
more times that I can recall - it's a lot closer to me than to you!)
but my knowledge of the mobile tree chewers is mainly from nature reserves,
books & documentaries.

:hi:

[imdjh]

6. Oh goodie, in a few years the Duke Of Rothesay can eat a piece of raw beaver. nt

[stop the bleeding]

7. So cute. NT

[Arctic Dave]

8. I let them have the one that's chewing down all my trees

and I'll throw in a couple of muskrats that built their home under my dock. :)

[brentspeak]

11. That's when animals become varmints!

:)

[Arctic Dave]

12. They are doing it at our summer cabin. They might think we are the varmits

for interupting their peace and quiet. :D

[XemaSab]

14. Chicken wire

n/t