For the first time in centuries, there are beavers in London — on a stream in Enfield. Sadly, the female has been widowed, but the search is on for a new mate for her, and before long there will be kits too, tucked away in the beavers’ warm lodge.
Beavers were eradicated by people from Britain and from much of Europe, brought to the brink of extinction on account of the oil secreted from sacs beneath their tails, and their warm, waterproof fur. In recent years, however, a growing understanding of the vital, keystone role they play has seen beavers systematically reintroduced.
