Beaver dams could help prevent flooding

Beavers build dams to create ponds in which they feel safe from predators but were hunted to extinction in Britain about 300 years ago. They have been reintroduced at several sites and were designated a native British species by the Scottish government last month.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has committed £15m for “natural flood management” in England as part of its response to the devastating floods last winter.

However, comments from Times readers suggested the deployment of the animals more widely would be unpopular with farmers. Or practical. One reader commented: “Beavers need trees, and heavily subsidised sheep in the uplands, where most rain falls, ensure that few survive.”

Another said: “What utter rot! Beavers on our farm in Tayside have dammed an eight foot ditch with grass wheat and mud. The water used to be a trickle, now it is six feet deep.”

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