Don't kill the beavers – plea by Findhorn charity Tree for Life
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Findhorn-based Trees for Life says the future of Scotland’s fragile population of wild beavers is at risk.
From Monday Scotland’s young beavers are officially seen as no longer dependent on their mothers.
This means farmers with unwanted beavers on their land can again apply for licences to shoot them.
Last year 87 – a fifth of the Scottish population – were shot.
Trees for Life fears the scale of the killing could be replicated this year.
That, says the charity, is because the Scottish Government has ruled that beavers cannot be relocated outside of their existing river catchments, and can only spread naturally from their ranges in Argyll and Tayside.
This, adds the charity, leaves farmers whose crops are sometimes damaged by beavers with little option but to apply for a licence to kill them.
Steve Micklewright, the chief executive of Trees for Life, said:
"Each beaver shot is a wasted life that could have helped to rewild Scotland.
"Beavers build small dams – creating nature-rich wetlands that support a wealth of wildlife and soak up carbon dioxide, and which reduce flooding and improve water quality.
"Beavers can also benefit local communities by becoming a tourist attraction.
"They are brilliant for wildlife and people, but in Scotland they’re at risk as a species because the Scottish Government allows their legal killing.
"Needless bloodshed could be reduced by allowing beavers to be moved to where they would be welcome."
Beavers were originally hunted to extinction in the UK around 500 years ago.
In 2009, the Scottish Government approved a trial reintroduction at Knapdale, Argyll.
However, these were not the first beavers to return.
A few years earlier, beavers were discovered on the River Tay, having either escaped from captivity or been illegally released.
James Nairne, Trustee of Scottish Wild Beaver Group, said: "There are many landowners who would love to have beavers on their land.
"Moving not killing beavers would be a more humane and forward-looking approach to the conservation of this struggling species.
"It will also help address fears that a genetic bottleneck is developing in the Tayside beaver population."
An online petition begun by Trees for Life to relocate rather than kill beavers has already been signed by almost 8000 people.
It can be supported at treesforlife.org.uk/savebeavers until Thursday, August 27.
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