First time beaver has lived there for 200 years

A beaver has made its home in a Perthshire loch, the first time an animal has lived there in roughly two centuries.

The Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) has been monitoring the animal at the Loch of the Lowes since it was first spotted in August, and it is thought to be related to one of the many beavers in the River Tay catchment that have escaped or were illegally released from captivity.

Beavers were hunted to extinction in the UK towards the end of the 18th century and the current wild beaver populations in Scotland either belong to the Government licensed Scottish Beaver Trial in Knapdale in Argyll, or have descendent from escapees from private collections.

SWT has said it is keen to be involved in the monitoring of the existing populations of beavers in Tayside, and is pleased to be a part of the Tayside Beaver Study Group.

Chief Executive Simon Milne said: "The Scottish Wildlife Trust wishes to see the return of beeves to Scotland; it is a missing part of our ecosystem."