'I feel real hope': historic beaver release marks conservation milestone in England

Four beavers were legally released at Purbeck Heath in Dorset in what experts say is a huge step for national nature recoveryWhy are beavers being released into England's rivers? What you need to knowThe sun was shining, people were gingerly paddling in the sea and dogs were being walked up and down the coast - a typical day on the beautiful Dorset coast. But the beachgoers probably didn't know that just a few minutes inland, history was being made.On Wednesday, at the National Trust's Purbeck Heath nature reserve, four beavers were released from crates and crawled into Little Sea, a 33-hectare lake. They are the first beavers to be legally released in England, after 400 years of absence and a fight to return them to the landscape. Continue reading...