The Mrs and I returned to the River Otter this evening in the hope of getting another look at the Beaver that has been frequenting the river and we were in luck! Really great to watch this animal going about its business at such close quarters. It is presumably one of three animals that mysteriously appeared on the River Otter near Ottery St Mary (10 miles to the north of us) earlier this year - MORE HERE.
It seems the nearest captive animals are kept at Escot Estate, Ottery St Mary as part of the Escot Beaver Programme but apparenly none of these animals have escaped.
The Devon Wildlife Trust has also been running a Beaver Programme in the north of the county. Devon Wildlife Trust Beaver Programme
Wherever the animal has come from, I think it is great news and I hope they become established as a regular feature on the local patch!
Beavers are known as "ecological engineers", their dams, burrows and ditches and the branches they drag into the water create habitats for a host of other species. Their dams slow rivers down, reducing scouring and erosion, and improving water quality by holding back silt. During the recent wet weather and flooding crisis, naturalists called for the reintroduction of beavers to control floods.
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| Beaver, River Otter 30th April 2014 - copyright Chris Townend |
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| Beaver, River Otter 30th April 2014 - copyright Chris Townend |
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| Beaver, River Otter 30th April 2014 - copyright Chris Townend |
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| Beaver, River Otter 30th April 2014 - copyright Chris Townend |
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| Beaver, River Otter 30th April 2014 - copyright Chris Townend |
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