Beavers Without Borders, a short film from the charity Beaver Trust, explores the benefits and challenges of reintroducing beavers to Britain's landscapes. It hopes the documentary will appeal to a wide audience and promote discussions around ensuring a better future for the species.
Beavers Without Borders follows science communicator Sophie Pavelle on a journey around Britain's beaver reintroduction sites – hearing from farmers, anglers, scientists and conservationists about the issues, the importance of community support, and how we might learn to live alongside beavers again.
It highlights how beavers are superb ecosystem engineers, with their small dams creating nature-rich wetlands that support wildlife, absorb carbon dioxide, reduce flooding, and improve water quality. But the animals can have localised impacts on agricultural land too.
Now back in Britain after being hunted to extinction over four centuries ago for their meat, fur and oil, beavers remain at risk as a wild species.
Beaver Trust says the Government's national strategy and funding to protect and manage wild beavers should be informed by the lessons learnt by people involved in or affected by reintroductions.
Watch the short 16 minute documentary below: