A beaver who was shot in the face and left at the side of the road by a cruel yob has been successfully released back into the wild. A member of the public found the adult rodent, named Fig, badly injured in the Perthshire area on January 15.
He was rushed to the Scottish SPCA’s National Wildlife Rescue Centre where staff discovered his top two incisor teeth had been destroyed after being blasted with a gun. Fig also suffered extensive facial wounds with medics unable to remove some of the bullet shrapnel due to the risk surgery posed.
After undergoing extensive rehabilitation, Fig’s teeth thankfully grew back and he has now been released alongside a lady beaver friend at the Argaty Red Kites Centre near Doune on March 18. National Wildlife Centre manager, Chris Hogsden, said, “He was shot in the face, taking out his top two incisors and wounding his face.
“Luckily the root wasn’t damaged so his teeth grew back during his time with us. There are some small fragments of shrapnel that have been left in situ on welfare grounds, after our expert veterinary team concluded that trying to remove them could have posed a greater risk to Fig.
“It’s quite rare for a beaver to come to us, and we’re so pleased to report that Fig’s rehab has been a success. Since 2020, we have only had three beavers come into our wildlife hospital for rehabilitation.
“Fig was successfully released back into the wild last weekend with the landowner’s permissions along with the appropriate licences in conjunction with the Beaver Trust. He was released with a female beaver who has been in the care of the Beaver Trust.
“It has been amazing to see Fig go from strength to strength under the care of our dedicated team. Ensuring the welfare of beavers is paramount. It is vital that any shot beaver is x-rayed and sent for post mortem, and we would like to see this become mandatory as a condition of licensing.
“If you come across an injured or sick beaver, please contact our helpline on 03000 999 999. If you come across a beaver kit that you suspect has been orphaned, please monitor from a safe distance. If no parent returns, contact our helpline for advice. Please do not attempt to pick up the kit yourself.”
Dr Roisin Campbell-Palmer, Head of Restoration at Beaver Trust, said, “We're really happy to have supported the release of Fig back into the wild at Argaty Red Kites.
“His incredible recovery is a testament to the hard work the SSPCA team has put into his rehabilitation. We now hope Fig will bond with the female he has been released with and they can live a life free from conflict."
Tom Bowser of Argaty Red Kites said, “We are so pleased to have worked with the SSPCA and Beaver Trust to release Fig back into the wild on Argaty. The SSPCA deserve huge credit for their incredible work to rehabilitate him after this appalling injury. Thanks too to NatureScot for making the release possible.
“This has been a happy ending to a shameful incident which underlines, once again, huge animal welfare concerns regarding the shooting of beavers.
“We hope that the Scottish Government now implements recommendations of its own Animal Welfare Commission report, such as banning the shooting of beavers over water, as well as making the recovery of beavers for post-mortem examination a mandatory condition of licensing. Stories like Fig's cannot go unaddressed."
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