| Animals UK News Daily News 16th March 2020 |
Wild beavers (河狸) are back! Experts say that the wild beaver families are doing well. The beavers are even boosting wildlife and the environment!
Over ten years ago, a family of beavers turned up in a part of the river Otter, in Devon. No one knew exactly where they came from. It was a big surprise -wild beavers hadn't lived in England for around 400 years!
In 2015, the govemment allowed the beavers to stay there as part of a trial (试验). They wanted to see if these animals could be reintroduced to the wild. The trial ends in February. Some scientists from the University of Exeter already say the beavers help the wildlife in the area. One scientist called it “an amazing story”.
A lot of this is because of dams. Beavers build dams along the river. This creates deep pools in the riverbed and slows the water down. Scientists say this is perfect for many different types of plants and animals! Many plants are growing near the beavers. Different types of animals are also becoming more and more in the river. Beavers also help make flooding less, scientists say. The beavers' dams slow down the speed of the river, especially after heavy rain.
There are, however, some problems. Beavers gnaw (咬，啃) on trees and this can harm them. Their dams can also sometimes create floods (洪水) on people's land.
Beavers aren't the only animals that are being reintroduced to the wild! In 2019, red squirrels were brought back to an area of the Scottish Highlands. Further away, the world's rarest (罕见的) duck, the Madagascar pochard, is making a comeback. It was set free into the wild on the African island in 2019 and is doing well.
Who knows what other animals might be making a comeback?
