PLANS to bring a pair of European beavers into the Welsh countryside have been condemned as “crazy” by farming union leaders. The Farmers’ Union of Wales yesterday criticised the proposed scheme by the Wales Wild Land Foundation, which is building an “enclosed habitat” for the beavers at Artists’ Valley, near Machynlleth. Beavers are known to carry pseudotuberculosis. Officials in Scotland and Poland have sanctioned culls of wild beavers which have escaped from captivity, after farmers there said they had damaged crops and livestock.

Key Takeaways:

• Farmers in Scotland are objecting to introduction of Eurasian Beavers due to their negative effect of farming activities
• Beaver are interrupting water flow by taking down trees and clogging the waterways that farmers use for irrigation.
• University researchers are introducing these beavers since they are key to restoring wetland and creating biodiversity in the area

“Farmers in Angus have complained that beavers are causing huge damage to drainage channels which are vital for farming.”

Read more: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/07/18/farmers-warning-beaver-damage-new-report-praises-water-engineers/