Four families of beavers arrived from Norway yesterday for eventual release, in a programme to reintroduce the species after a 400-year absence.

After six months in quarantine, they will be freed in Knapdale, mid-Argyll, under a scheme run by the Scottish Wildlife Trust and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland. The families, each of an adult pair and between one and three yearlings, were caught in the Telemark region of Norway after months of tracking.

Simon Jones, project manager for the Scottish Beaver Trial, said: “Beavers are native to Britain but were hunted to extinction over 400 years ago. Beavers hold the potential to create new wetland habitats which, in turn, increases the appeal to other native species. We are excited to get the trial under way and really see what benefits beavers can bring.”

Michael Russell, the Scottish Environment Minister, said: “This is the latest stage in a truly exciting development for wildlife-watchers, not just in Scotland, but around the world.”

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