Beavers back in the wild: are they a threat?

The only wild beaver family in England has been returned to a river in Devon after being declared healthy.

The beavers were first spotted last February in the River Otter. It was the first time the animals had been seen in the wild in England since they were hunted to extinction almost 500 years ago.

Wildlife campaigners are not sure how the beavers came to be in the river, but it is thought they may have escaped from captivity.

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At the time, ministers wanted to capture and rehome the beavers in captivity, but campaigners opposed the move. Natural England eventually ruled that the beavers could be returned to the river, as long as they were tested and declared disease-free.

Devon Wildlife Trust told the BBC it was "delighted" the beavers had been returned to the river, but some still remain opposed to the move.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is concerned that the beavers may be carrying bovine TB and a parasitic tapeworm that can cause serious harm to humans.

It also argues that beavers can negatively impact the river's ecosystem, as their damns can impede the movement of fish – a concern shared by anglers and fishermen.

The animals can also cause significant damage to trees. In the US, a country with a healthy beaver population, operators of commercial forests attribute millions of dollars of timber loss to the animals each year. However, wrapping wire netting around the trunks can easily prevent the damage, says the Humane Society.

Wildlife campaigners say reintroducing the beaver into British rivers would provide a host of benefits to the environment. Studies have shown that beavers significant increase the biodiversity of the wetlands they occupy and can even reduce flooding risks.

"We know from our own research and research done in Europe that beavers are excellent aquatic engineers improving the flood and drought resilience of our countryside and increasing the water quality of our rivers, people and wildlife," Harry Barton, Chief Executive of Devon Wildlife Trust, told the Daily Telegraph.

Stephanie Hilborne, Chief Executive of The Wildlife Trusts, says she hopes the reintroduction of beavers into the wild "symbolises a change in our relationship with the natural world, and a wider appreciation that nature makes our lives richer."