On 28 May three families of European Beavers were released on three lochs in Knapdale near Achnamara and on 29 May another family will be released on Loch Coille Bhar. According to Radio 4, 11 beavers are being released, 2 have died in quarantine and 4 are not ready to be released. According to the beaver team, 25 animals were imported from Norway with 5 dying in quarantine so we seem to have lost 3 beavers somewhere - and that is while they were in captivity.
The beavers are not contained in any way but they are radio tagged and we are assured that if they stray, they will be returned to their designated lochs. This hardly constitutes a trial of how beavers will behave in Scotland when left to their own devices. This is a fantastic area with a wonderful habitat for many wild creatures but it is far from being a wilderness area suitable for free ranging beavers with an insatiable appetite for broadleaf woodlands. It is ironic that the beavers are being encouraged to munch on our hardwoods while deer are shot for doing the same thing.
Our holiday cottages are two miles from the release sites so if you fancy a beaver safari, you know where to come.
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