A row has erupted after it emerged a family of beavers in the Beauly area are to be trapped and removed by government officials.
Trees for Life, the charity which discovered the group, says the family should either stay where they are or be relocated locally.
Film from camera traps set by the conservation experts from Trees for Life in mid-June show the presence of a mother and at least two young kits swimming and playing.
The charity informed Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and made a case to Environment Minister Roseanna Cunningham that the family be allowed to stay.
The Minister decided last November to allow Scotland’s existing beaver populations to remain in Tayside and Argyll.
Ms Cunningham said: “We have been clear that we are minded that beavers can remain in Scotland and that their range can expand naturally. But the unauthorised release of beavers is a criminal offence and will damage the beaver reintroduction project.
“That is why I am asking SNH to take swift action in the Beauly area. We must avoid a repeat of the experience on Tayside.”
Alan McDonnell, Conservation Projects Manager at Trees for Life says: “It is disappointing that government is already starting the process of trapping this family without considering other options. Whilst we understand that the Minister wants to address the concerns of landowners in Tayside, the situation here is very different and we think it is possible to consult and negotiate with landowners in the immediate vicinity of the family and upstream to find an alternative outcome for the animals.
“We think these beavers have been active at this site for at least five years without any local concerns being raised. Which just goes to show that in the right location, beavers and other land use interests can co-exist successfully.”
Richard Hartland, local resident, added: “Many people in the local community have no idea the beavers are there and they’re having very little impact on their surroundings. Why can’t they be left alone?”
Sir John Lister-Kaye of the Aigas Field Centre, a wildlife centre near Beauly, said: “It is a strange decision. Just because the government didn’t know there were beavers on the Beauly, doesn’t mean they are any different from the ones on The Tay. It doesn’t make any logical sense. They have been there for six years.”
The Beauly beavers will be captured later this summer, when the young are more independent. They will be held until a suitable release location is found.
