An application has reportedly been made to 'reintroduce' (after an absence of more than 100 years) an initial 10 European beavers to Wales (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jan/02/beavers-could-be-reintroduced-to-wales-after-centuries-absence). This is after 'successful' reintroductions of the species to both Scotland and England. I personally think that this would be an interesting development but worry about it happening in a country where people become homicidal in response to mole-hills in 'their' pristine lawn or the 'mess' created by badgers and foxes raiding dustbins. You also have to consider that the beavers a) one in the wild, are likely to become free agents, invading areas where you might not expect them; b) eat trees as well as cutting them up to create their dams and lodges and c) can dramatically alter the courses of streams and even rivers. Beavers would essentially alter environments where they live, something that some humans find hard to tolerate. Just because a species used to be found here, doesn't mean that its 'reintroduction' will be an easy process.
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