New report published on Argyll’s trial beavers

The report sets out findings from the fourth year of ecological monitoring, up to spring 2013, in the five-year Scottish Beaver Trial (SBT). It is part of the SBT independent monitoring work being coordinated by SNH and will contribute to the wider programme of work being produced for the trial. The report presents the interim findings from this work. The monitoring phase of the trial concluded at the end of May 2014 and the final report, which will help Scottish Government decide on the longer term future of beavers in Scotland, is due to be published in December 2014.

The trial is run by the Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), on land managed by Forestry Commission Scotland. Since their release, SNH has been closely monitoring the beavers and their effects on the environment, in partnership with several other independent organisations.

The 15 beavers released in the first year of the trial formed five families, or pairs, and one further animal was released in year two of the trial. By June 2013, eight of the released beavers were thought to still be alive and present in the trial area, five having gone missing and three, all males, were known to have died.

Fourteen beavers are also known to have been wild-born at Knapdale by June 2013, five of which have gone missing.

The remaining beavers, which remain in four distinct family groups, appear to be healthy and have mostly put on weight since their release. The groups’ combined territory covers an area of 423 hectares, about the size of 120 football pitches, with one beaver family per 4 km of waterway edge. The report finds no evidence that the beavers have had any negative impact on otters in the area.

Jenny Bryce, wildlife ecologist with SNH, said: “It is essential that any species reintroduction project includes a properly managed and monitored trial. This means that future decisions about extending the trial or moving to full scale reintroduction are based on the best information available. The Knapdale beavers have been monitored since they were released and this work has been independently analysed. The monitoring shows us how the beavers are getting on at Knapdale and improves our understanding of how they behave in a Scottish environment. With the monitoring phase of the trial now complete, the final report due in December will be based on the five years of monitoring. This will contribute to the information provided to Scottish Government on the outcomes of the trial.”

ENDS