Beavers

J

justfred

Member
Location
new forest
Can any of our American or Canadian friends tell me would it be a good idea to introduce beavers into Britain as has been suggested I have doubts myself as I believe they can cause a lot of damage to the countryside. They are OK in the wildernesses of your two countries where there is little or no human habitation but we do not have vast areas like that here. Me?I think it would be a bad idea.
 

What would be the natural predators for beavers in Britain? Do they have any wolves or coyotes? I know they have foxes.

Beavers build dams and hold back streams. So is that a good thing or bad for Britain.

What is the reason given for wanting to introduce beavers?

Qualified trappers can keep them under control.
 

Camper6 said:
What would be the natural predators for beavers in Britain? Do they have any wolves or coyotes? I know they have foxes.

Beavers build dams and hold back streams. So is that a good thing or bad for Britain.

What is the reason given for wanting to introduce beavers?

Qualified trappers can keep them under control.[/QUOTE

Beavers would have no natural predators in this country therefore they would breed and breed and their numbers would be out of control.
Who wants dams being built on streams and rivers unless they are for commercial reasons. We have no 'wild' places miles and miles from civilisation where humans are very rarely seen. What places of natural beautiful we have we want to keep that way and do not want to see tree stumps and unsightly blocked up waterways.
Qualified trappers to keep them under control? As they have no natural predators I think this would be very difficult. In the 1870s the grey squirrel was introduced into this country from America. This creature is now so destructive it has been classed as vermin. It carries a pox that is fatal to our natural red squirrels. It will destroy a wild birds nest and kill the chicks, It eats the bark and kills young trees. If trapped it is illegal to release them back into the woodland, they have to be humanely destroyed. All this because they too have no natural predators.
There was a suggestion way back that lynx and wolves should be re introduced back here but this was squashed as being a danger to other animals and possibly humans. I for one am quite happy with the wild life we have now so would not like to see the reintroduction of any other type,
Click to expand...
 
Yes I know there are beavers in selected parts of Britain and they are kept under tight control but if more were introduced as has been suggested I dread to think of the consequences. Why were they reintroduced in the first place? Yes they are interesting creatures as are most of our wildlife but they can, unless kept under tight control, be very destructive. as has been found with the grey squirrel. As a matter of interest have any escaped from their designated areas? I don,t think I would like to see them building dams on the little streams running alongside our country lanes.
Away from this subject. Why did you leave such a beautiful country like Scotland to live south of the border
 
I'm not surprised that beaver are flourishing in Europe. Since the exodus of humans from the Chernobyl area that place has seen huge increases in wildlife. The various species seem ecologically balanced. The only species that don't thrive are a few that attract poachers.

In Detroit, a city which has large vacant areas where houses once stood, beaver and other species have returned. It certainly beats the decayed slums which they have replaced. Removal of abandoned house as well as junk and general debris has certainly helped. Overall, it seems that places greatly improve when humans leave.

Some places have always had wildlife. I grew up in a suburb of Chicago where muskrats live in a river that flows through the town.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top