Two pairs of beavers were acquainted into two enclosures on the Holnicote Estate in Exmoor, Somerset, as a part of the 'Riverlands' project. The program aims to restore the river into its natural state with the help of the semiaquatic rodents.
Officials hope that dams will slow down the water flow and create a home for other wildlife.The dams are also expected to hold water in dry periods, help lessen flash-flooding downstream, reduce erosion, and improve water quality.
The beavers released in Somerset were carried from wild populations living on the River Tay catchment, in Scotland.
A clip shows the charming creatures frolicking and feeding around a National Trust estate in Exmoor after being reintroduced into the facility. Both of the two sites are around three hectares in size, with one containing old mill ponds that supply deeper water that beavers favor.
Settling in Well
Ben Eardley, the Riverlands project manager, described the venture as 'exciting', as the beavers were engaging both the public and staff. He claims that the beavers have already started to create deeper and more far-reaching ponds.
He added that there were a lot of signs of feeding at the fast-flowing site. He said that the rodents had created storage for their food dragged across plenty of woody vegetation into the ponds.
Furthermore, he reported that the beavers at the other site were feeding and storing up food in the deeper water.
Eardley fondly told reporters that the beavers were getting quite practiced, as they were coming out at certain times. He adds that rangers have caught them all on camera and reported that the animals were doing well.
Big Hope for Such Little Creatures
The beavers are expected to develop the pond network in the future. In one of the sites, logs were installed to partially dam the watercourse for the beavers.
As part of the project, the Trust plans to create a viewing area at one of the sites to allow people to see the change that the beavers make as they transform the space into a wetland landscape.
Officials also anticipate drone flyovers that will capture the changes to the flora in the landscape. Experts from the University of Exeter will monitor the beavers' impact, which will change both the flow of water through the site and its quality.
The National Trust said that the Riverlands project would also see work set in motion to restore rivers and streams to a so-called 'stage zero'. This implies a state where they flow through multiple pools, channels, and shallow streams as they would have done naturally.
It is hoped that both the restoration plan and the beavers' performance will slow the flow of water, reducing the risk of flooding further down the catchment. They also hope to deal with drought by holding more water in the landscape as well as boosting wildlife.
Eardley concludes that the whole purpose of the project is to work with natural means to develop benefits for people and nature. Furthermore, he adds that the beavers are a tool to create a greater richness of wildlife, more diversity, more complexity. He says they provide help in improving the natural function of the river catchment.
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