NatureScot seeking new beaver release sites
The translocation efforts have seen NatureScot's licensed kills significantly reduced.
NatureScot has called for expressions of interest of new locations where they can release wild beavers.
The group has invited organisations, communities and land managers to share their interest in beaver restoration, as it seeks to develop a strategic plan for beavers at a catchment scale.
The aim of NatureScot’s current Beaver Strategy is to increase the range of wild beavers in Scotland. It is seeking to restore populations in suitable parts of the country, actioning management and mitigation where needed.
NatureScot has already secured six catchments, where beavers have either been granted permission to remain or be released.
Already, populations have been established in Tayside, on the Forth, in Knapdale, Loch Lomond and the Cairngorms National Park. There had also been releases approved in the Beauly catchment.
The calls come ahead of the charity’s annual Beaver Management Report, which covers April 2024 to March 2025.
During this time, 102 beavers were removed under licence from 19 conflict sites. Of these, 77 per cent were trapped and moved.
Forty-seven of all the beavers removed were released into catchments in Scotland, the Cairngorms and the Trossachs National Parks. A small number of beavers were also released into low conflict areas within Tayside. Two beavers died in captive care.
There were 23 beavers killed under licence during the time period. NatureScot says that this is significantly reduced from previous levels, which they link to their increased trapping and translocation efforts.
Jenny Bryce, NatureScot’s beaver team manager, said: “With other members of the Scottish Beaver Advisory Group, we’ve been looking at how we can identify further new catchments for beaver releases. Getting a clearer picture of where there is most interest will help us make the best use of resources and plan any future releases strategically.
“It doesn’t need to be a fully formed project, but we would expect there to be suitable habitat and some knowledge of landowner support for potential release sites. By gathering information on areas of interest, we can help steer focused discussion of the locations with the most potential for successful conservation translocations.”
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