FAQ: Will the beaver population get out of control as they have no natural predators?
At the time of release all beavers were fitted with radio-tracking equipment and are being closely tracked for the duration of the trial period.
Beaver populations are regulated more by available habitat and food supply than by predators, and steep landscapes also limit their range. Re-colonisation is likely to be gradual and slow. A great deal of evidence shows that breaks in waterways are a strong barrier to spread, as beavers prefer not to spend long amounts of time travelling on the ground. The lie of the land at Knapdale means that there is a better chance of most animals in the trial population being contained on the trial site, although some dispersal outwith the site has to be expected in such a trial.
