Save Beavers In Scotland - Please Sign The Petition

Image from @scotlandtbp (c)

The return of beavers to Scotland has been of the great conservation stories of recent years (and we really need positive stories). They are now a protected species, as they should be. However, despite this, last year one in five Scottish beavers were killed.

As well as being beautiful animals in their own right beavers create habitats, boost biodiversity, and help prevent floods. They are becoming a tourist attraction too. I haven't seen beavers in Scotland myself yet, though I have been to one of their habitats and seen gnawed tree stumps, but I have watched them in North America and Scandinavia. I've marvelled at their dams and the series of ponds they create, which support a wealth of wildlife, regulate water flow, and improve water quality.

Beavers cause few problems but they can damage crops, which leads some farmers to kill them. Until beavers received legal protection last year farmers could do this as they wished. That protection isn't complete however and licences to kill beavers can be obtained from Scottish Natural Heritage. 87 were shot in the last year.

Image from @Scots Beavers (c)

Rather than shooting beavers they should be relocated. There are many suitable areas in Scotland. I'd love to see them here in Strathspey. However the Scottish Government does not permit this.

Trees for Life and the Scottish Rewilding Alliance have started a petition calling on the Scottish Government to allow the relocation of beavers. At the time of writing this has 7,593 signatures. Many more are needed. Please sign if you care about wildlife. Beavers could have a great future in Scotland.

 

Book Review: Lonely Scotland A guide to hunting, trapping and wildlife persecution in Scotland

Hill goers often encounter traps in the woods and hills. How do you know if they are legal or not? This new guide from OneKind will tell you. A disturbing number of different traps are described, both legal and illegal, though note that the former are only legal if set correctly. This guide shows you how to check they have been and what to do if you suspect a wildlife crime. Every type of trap is illustrated with pointers as to what to look for to see if it's being used correctly. I don't like traps of any sort but whilst it's legal to use them it is important that this is done properly to reduce the suffering caused to victims.

The guide also contains information on different types of hunting and how they are carried out and on commonly persecuted species and what legal protection they have. Overall it's a very useful if grim little book packed with information on wildlife persecution. It's available from OneKind at no cost - a donation is requested.