A baby beaver has been born in London for the first time in over 400 years, reports The Guardian. 18 months ago, beavers were reintroduced to England’s capital city as part of a flood management project. “The semi-aquatic rodents were hunted to extinction in the 16th century during the Elizabethan era as they were predominantly killed for their fur and meat.”
An environmental official told the Daily Telegraph: “The beavers’ hard work creating a natural wetland ecosystem will contribute to excellent flood defenses, protecting the local area and hundreds of homes from flooding downstream to the south-east of the borough, while encouraging biodiversity.”
Beavers may end up inhabiting a 10-acre area of parkland in Ealing in west London. People in London will be able to go on “beaver safaris” to see the creatures as part of the rewilding project, The Guardian says. “Beavers were reintroduced within fenced enclosures in England and Wales several years ago as part of a rewilding campaign.”
An animal collections official said, “We have seen the developments the beavers are [involved in] and the improvements they have made to the wetland area. We are now focusing our efforts on collecting data, which we hope will provide further evidence about the positive effects the beavers are having on the environment.”
Recently, carnivorous plants were reintroduced to English wetlands.
In other news, a mutant tomato could save harvests around the world.
