If you hate beavers, you’re sorely misguided

The beaver is a key eco-systems engineer, writes Donnachadh McCarthy

From 1 October, the Eurasian beaver has been given protected native species status (Shutterstock)

In the middle of Liz Truss’s declaration of war on the scraps of nature left in Britain, this week marked a positive milestone for regeneration efforts.

From 1 October, the Eurasian beaver has been given protected native species status, following successful reintroductions over the last 20 years by various groups and individuals, into a small number of river basins. This follows its total UK extermination in the 17th century.

The beaver faced similar obliteration across mainland Europe due to the value of its fur and castoreum gland secretions, the latter of which was in great demand for perfumes.