The Scottish Wildlife Trust and Royal Zoological Society of Scotland are hosting an online event on Wednesday 28 October from 6:30pm to give a final update on the Scottish Beavers Reinforcement Project.
People will be able to hear about the latest fieldwork, which took place in September, as well as the strategic successes of the three-year project. There will be talks about the impact of beavers on local wildlife tourism, the future of Knapdale Forest, and an update on the national approach to beavers.
The reinforcement project began in 2017, aiming to bolster the population of beavers released during the Scottish Beaver Trial. Twenty-one beavers were introduced from Tayside to increase both numbers and genetic diversity in the Knapdale beaver population. All animals were screened by qualified vets prior to release to ensure that they were healthy and disease-free.
Annual surveys show that many animals released through the project have successfully established territories and bred. It is hoped that the new kits will eventually form breeding pairs with beavers descended from the Norwegian beavers released during the Scottish Beaver Trial, increasing the overall diversity of Argyll’s beaver population and giving it the best chance for future success.
The project is led by Scottish Beavers, a partnership between the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) and the Scottish Wildlife Trust created to continue the work of the Scottish Beaver Trial. It is taking place on land managed by Forest & Land Scotland and has been licensed by NatureScot, which is also coordinating the monitoring requirements at the site.