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This is a misleading headline which implies that improvements in the environment of London has allowed beavers to return naturally. These beavers are on a farm

by w0mbat 5y ago

This is a misleading headline which implies that improvements in the environment of London has allowed beavers to return naturally. These beavers are on a farm, and were deliberately brought there. They might as well be in a zoo.

jart 5y ago
Most farmers kill beavers because they don't want to share the land. Beavers nearly went extinct in North America because of that, and it caused things like the great dust bowl to happen, because beavers irrigate soil systemically. They're little defenders of the commons. People still haven't learned their lesson, so just having one farmer or two who are willing to lend resources to an enlightened cause is a big step.
- b112 5y ago
  Most farmers kill beavers because they don't want to share the land. Beavers nearly went extinct in North America because of that, Untrue. Just the gazillion of billions of acres of untamed land, too unusable or too far north (but still fine for beaverkind) makes this an impossible statement. There are literally areas of Canada, where beavers live, larger than some European countries, where no person has stepped in years. Beyond that, there are endless tracts of mountains, in the US and Canada certainly, where there are no farms, just endless millions upon billions of acres of mountain, tree, river, untouched. The only thing which could have caused the potential extinction of beaver, would be trapping for pelts, something not really done in serious quantity for 150 years. And in the time prior to that, there were not enough people, certainly in Canada, to trap beaver to extinction. Only local regions had their beaver populations killed off by farmer. Any claim you hear/read otherwise is malarky.
- throwawaycities 5y ago
  > Most farmers kill beavers because they don't want to share the land. Beavers nearly went extinct in North America because of that Wasn’t it the commercial fur trade that was responsible for the devastation of the North American beaver population and not farmers settling the lands impacted by the dust bowl. I think the commercial fur trade entered decline nearly 50 years before widespread settlement/farming of those lands and had already pushed the beaver populations to remote areas in the wilderness.
unfocussed_mike 5y ago
I'm not sure how beavers would return naturally to London when they are extinct in the UK? Perhaps this is just me as a Brit seeing this as obvious. This is part of a nationwide reintroduction plan though. And the London environment quite possibly has improved enough to introduce them, especially the wetlands to the south and east. The Thames is no longer a dead river at any point on its length, and there are habitat improvements everywhere; seals and dolphins are seen etc. Whether they will ever be reintroduced near such valuable real estate is another matter entirely.
Angostura 5y ago
It's 15 acres of woodland. Wouldn't really make a very good zoo ezxperience.

by w0mbat 5y ago

jart 5y ago

Most farmers kill beavers because they don't want to share the land. Beavers nearly went extinct in North America because of that, and it caused things like the great dust bowl to happen, because beavers irrigate soil systemically. They're little defenders of the commons. People still haven't learned their lesson, so just having one farmer or two who are willing to lend resources to an enlightened cause is a big step.

b112 5y ago
Most farmers kill beavers because they don't want to share the land. Beavers nearly went extinct in North America because of that, Untrue. Just the gazillion of billions of acres of untamed land, too unusable or too far north (but still fine for beaverkind) makes this an impossible statement. There are literally areas of Canada, where beavers live, larger than some European countries, where no person has stepped in years. Beyond that, there are endless tracts of mountains, in the US and Canada certainly, where there are no farms, just endless millions upon billions of acres of mountain, tree, river, untouched. The only thing which could have caused the potential extinction of beaver, would be trapping for pelts, something not really done in serious quantity for 150 years. And in the time prior to that, there were not enough people, certainly in Canada, to trap beaver to extinction. Only local regions had their beaver populations killed off by farmer. Any claim you hear/read otherwise is malarky.
throwawaycities 5y ago
> Most farmers kill beavers because they don't want to share the land. Beavers nearly went extinct in North America because of that Wasn’t it the commercial fur trade that was responsible for the devastation of the North American beaver population and not farmers settling the lands impacted by the dust bowl. I think the commercial fur trade entered decline nearly 50 years before widespread settlement/farming of those lands and had already pushed the beaver populations to remote areas in the wilderness.

unfocussed_mike 5y ago

I'm not sure how beavers would return naturally to London when they are extinct in the UK? Perhaps this is just me as a Brit seeing this as obvious. This is part of a nationwide reintroduction plan though. And the London environment quite possibly has improved enough to introduce them, especially the wetlands to the south and east. The Thames is no longer a dead river at any point on its length, and there are habitat improvements everywhere; seals and dolphins are seen etc. Whether they will ever be reintroduced near such valuable real estate is another matter entirely.

Angostura 5y ago

It's 15 acres of woodland. Wouldn't really make a very good zoo ezxperience.