Beavers are to be reintroduced to west London for the first time in 400 years in a bid to tackle climate change.

To make this possible, conservation groups have received almost £40,000 from the mayor of London to create a home for two Eurasian beavers at Paradise Fields in Ealing. The initiative is aimed at promoting a biodiverse ecosystem, with the hope that the planned wetland will help achieve this goal.

Representatives from the Ealing Wildlife Group have revealed that “a breeding pair of beavers could arrive as soon as autumn this year” and are optimistic about the prospect of successfully reintroducing the species to the area.

Although beavers were once abundant in the UK, they were hunted to extinction in the 16th Century for their fur, glands and meat.” However, conservation efforts are helping to restore the population, and last year, two beavers, named Justin and Sigourney Beaver, were introduced to a farm in north London. Sadly, one of them died before they could breed.

The Ealing project is just one of 22 schemes across London that aim to promote biodiversity in the city. In total, it is hoped about 116 hectares (286 acres) of priority habitat will be restored or created, the equivalent of five St James’s Parks. To fund these initiatives, some £850,000 has been pledged for the 22 schemes across the capital, while City Hall has announced an extra £1m of funding for new rewilding projects.

Areas that could be rewilded include Ruislip Woods in west London, Enfield Chase in north London and Thames Marshes in Bexley.

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, expressed his commitment to promoting biodiversity and reversing the trends of declining nature. “Rewilding allows nature to take the lead and is an exciting way to create healthier ecosystems and allow humans and wildlife to live together more harmoniously,” he said.

 

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The declines in our wildlife is shocking and frightening. Without much more support, many of the animals we know and love will continue in their declines towards extinction.

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We are convinced that this is much better for the UK than growing lots of fast-growing coniferous trees, solely to remove carbon, that don’t actually help our animals to thrive.

This is why we stand for restoring nature in the UK through responsible rewilding. For us, it is the right thing to do. Let’s do what’s right for nature!

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