Beavers are back: Rodents reintroduced to Loch Lomond for first time in 400 years

Peter Smith reports as the first beavers in over 400 years make their home at Loch Lomond

On the banks of Loch Lomond, beavers are back. Having initially disappeared from the region during the reign of Mary Queen of Scots, these new additions have been relocated from Tayside.

They are the first beavers to set up home on the Loch Lomond nature reserve for more than 400 years, and already they’ve started to make an impact

Without the need for planning permission, the family of nocturnal rodents have used natural and sustainable materials alongside their life-long training as engineers to make Loch Lomond their new home.

Adapting to the terrain around them, they will eventually go on to create underwater tunnels throughout the area, which will manage water flows and help other wildlife flourish.

Their move was made possible through the work of a number of organisations including the Beaver Trust, Five Sisters Zoo, NatureScot, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority and RSPB Scotland.

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