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Two beaver kits moved to Loch Lomond die in ‘otter attack’ | UK News



Two beaver kits released into Loch Lomond to boost biodiversity have died – and the suspected killer is an otter.

The kits along with their parents and three siblings were moved from Tayside to the nature reserve last month.

In an update on Thursday, RSPB staff revealed the dead beavers were discovered last week.

Remote camera footage shows an otter next to the body of the smallest kit.

An autopsy concluded that the kit had been predated and then eaten.

‘We are saddened to lose these kits’

RSPB Scotlandinvolved in the beaver project, said the body of the second kit is still missing but staff believe it suffered the same fate as the first.

In a blog post about the deaths, Kirsty Nutt wrote: “It is known that young beavers, especially young ones, can be subject to otters, foxes, pine martens, birds of prey and even birds of prey. Even large dogfish eat meat.

“Studies have also shown that mortality rates for kits can be quite high, especially in their first year. None of this makes things any easier and we’re very excited. sad to lose these kits even though it’s a natural process.

“We’ve moved some of the cameras remotely and added additional cameras to try to better keep an eye on the rest of the family. Thankfully, the clips we’ve captured over the past few days have been very entertaining. taste.”

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Loch Lomond is only the third location in Scotland where beaver repositioning has taken place since reintroduction trials at Knapdale, Argyll, began in 2009.

The move comes after the Scottish government in late 2021 announced support for displacement, which involves trapping and safely moving animals to a more suitable area rather than culling them as they cause them. problem.

The family of seven beavers – two parents and five young – have been moved to Loch Lomond from Tayside as part of a plan to accelerate the return of the animals to the reserve, led by RSPB Scotland, NatureScot and Loch Lomond co-manager. Trossachs National Park Service.

At the time of release, RSPB Scotland director Anne McCall said the reserve’s combination of open water, fen and wet forest would be the perfect place for the family to build a new home.

She says the beaver will also manage and create habitats for other wildlife, noting: “We look forward to seeing the many benefits this will have for wildlife species. from birds to dragonflies, to fish to frogs, both in our nature reserve and in the broader National Nature Reserve.

“We also hope our visitors will be able to enjoy their natural engineering feats in the years to come.”

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