I’ll be damned! Beavers are reintroduced to LONDON – and you can start seeing them on ‘beaver safaris’
- Beavers will return to a built-up area of the London Borough of Ealing
- The beavers are expected to arrive this fall from Tayside, Scotland
Beavers return to an urban part of London for the first time in 400 years.
The rodents were once hunted to near extinction in the UK.
But now they must return to a built-up area of the London Borough of Ealing in a project led by the local community and conservation groups to demonstrate their benefits to people and nature.
Paradise Fields, a 10-acre area of woodland and wetlands in urban Greenford in the north of the borough, has undergone feasibility studies and a licensing application to Natural England, supported by Beaver Trust.
The site will be open to the public for ‘safaris’ after the beavers are brought in from Tayside, Scotland, expected this autumn.
Beavers will return to a built-up area of the London Borough of Ealing in a project led by the local community and conservation groups to demonstrate their benefits to people and wildlife
Paradise Fields, a 10-acre area of woodland and wetlands in urban Greenford in the north of the borough, has undergone feasibility studies and a license application to Natural England supported by Beaver Trust
The project is a collaboration between Ealing Wildlife Group, Citizen Zoo, Friends of Horsenden Hill and Ealing Council with support from Beaver Trust.
Dr. Sean McCormack, veterinarian and chairman of the Ealing Wildlife Group says: ‘Many people think beavers are a wilderness species, in fact we’ve just forgotten how close we used to live to them.
“We’re so excited to study how beavers interact with an urban river basin and, crucially, with urban communities.”
Beavers are considered ‘ecosystem engineers’ and in recent years it has been recognized that they help prevent flooding by slowing water flow during times of heavy rainfall and reducing drought by retaining more water on land.
The project hopes to prevent flooding downstream around Greenford Station and surrounding streets.
Elliot Newton, co-founder of Citizen Zoo welcomed the approval of the beaver license, commenting: ‘We hope to challenge perceptions and show how London, too, can embrace these ecosystem engineers as we strive for a healthier, wilder future in which our capital can become a leader in urban rewilding.
“Which will not only benefit wildlife populations, but local communities as well.”
Beavers are considered ‘ecosystem engineers’ and in recent years it has been recognized that they help prevent flooding by slowing water flow during times of heavy rainfall and reducing drought by retaining more water on land
The introduction of beavers to Ealing is regarded as the first truly urban reintroduction
Dr. Roisín Campbell-Palmer, Head of Restoration at Beaver Trust, also welcomed the license approval, stating: ‘Now that beavers are back in Britain, learning to live with them is fundamental to the successful restoration of the species.
“We look forward to continuing to support the team to make the most of this wonderfully located location.”
Beavers were reintroduced at a site in Forty Hall, Enfield in 2022 on the very outskirts of London, but unfortunately one of the introduced beavers died soon after.
The Ealing introduction is regarded as the first truly urban reintroduction.
