Latest news with #NorthWalesWildlifeTrust
The Independent
06-05-2025
- General
- The Independent
‘Very chill' wild beaver filmed on river after return of species to UK after 400 years
A wild beaver has been filmed on a river in Wales after the species became extinct in Britain about 400 years ago. The semiaquatic rodent was previously hunted to extinction, but has made a comeback over the past two decades. There are four managed enclosures for beavers in Wales, but it remains unknown how many live in the wild at the moment. Naturalist Iolo Williams encountered the wild beaver on the River Dyfi, near Machynlleth. He told the BBC: 'I've seen some incredible wildlife in Wales, some amazing things, but this ranks up there, not just with the best, but as the very, very best. 'The last people to see wild beavers in Wales would have been the Welsh princes, who would have hunted them. So they've been absent for hundreds of years. It's hugely significant.' Mr Williams first saw the beaver while he was filming his BBC series Iolo's River Valleys. He said the animal 'didn't pay us any attention at all'. "It was very chill," he said. 'We were on the opposite bank, and we thought we better be quiet, don't move around. And the beaver just saw us and it just carried on feeding and swam.' Mr Williams said the beaver "didn't pay us any attention at all". Locals say they have spotted beavers along that same stretch of the River Dyfi in recent years, but where they come from has remained a mystery after a nearby beaver enclosure ruled out any escapes. The North Wales Wildlife Trust has been working on its Welsh Beaver Project since 2005 in a mission to return the animal back to the wild. While once widespread across Wales, beavers were hunted for their fur, meat and scent glands. The trust said beavers are 'very special' because they 'play a vital role in enriching biodiversity by restoring and managing river and wetland ecosystems'. 'They are known as a 'keystone species' because their activities can benefit a wide range of other animals and plants that live in rivers and wetlands,' it added. It is an offence in Wales to release beavers into open rivers without a licence, and Natural Resources Wales told the BBC that no licences of this type have been issued currently. England recently approved the reintroduction of beavers into the wild, and there are said to be about 500 of them in the wilderness and in enclosures. Meanwhile, there are thought to be more than 1,500 beavers in Scotland after they were reintroduced to the wild several years ago.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Fears for wildlife after road scheme plan revived
A plan for a controversial road scheme which was scrapped by the Welsh government two years ago is being revived. The "red route", a new eight mile dual carriageway linking the A55 at Northop, Flintshire with the A494 and A550, was previously identified as the preferred option for relieving cross border congestion, but was one of the major building projects dropped in 2023 over environmental concerns. Now, a review of the route is part of the proposed Regional Transport Plan for North Wales which looks at ways of boosting the region's economy. Wildlife campaigners say they are "disappointed" with the revived plan. New £250m road backed for Flintshire More evidence sought on petition to scrap new road All major road building projects in Wales scrapped The 112 page consultation document by Ambition North Wales considers various forms of transport, including rail, road, bus, walking and cycling. It highlights the A494/A55 Flintshire corridor as one of its "priority routes" and includes the previously identified "red route" as one of the schemes for a rethink. But the suggestion the road could once again be considered has "shocked" campaigners who are concerned about the potential effects on wildlife habitats. The North Wales Wildlife Trust said that the original proposal for the road had been deemed "unsustainable, unjustifiable, and damaging" by the Welsh Government's Roads Review Panel and that it was "disappointed" to see it reappear in the new draft plan. A spokesperson said: "This 13km highway destroy ancient woodlands, wildflower meadows and centuries-old hedgerows, while endangering species such as otters, bats, barn owls, and badgers. These irreplaceable wildlife habitats must be protected." It is now urging people to get behind their campaign to tell Ambition North Wales that the red route is "still the wrong choice". In the consultation document, Ambition North Wales says the aim is to "provide residents and visitors with more travel choices and better digital connectivity, while also reducing our environmental impact." It is also proposing the case for a third Menai crossing between Anglesey and the mainland should be progressed, an idea that was also shelved two years ago, as well as improvements to the A483 in Wrexham. The draft North Wales Regional Transport Plan is open for consultation until 14 April.
BBC News
26-03-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Flintshire road scheme revival shocks wildlife campaigners
A plan for a controversial road scheme which was scrapped by the Welsh government two years ago is being revived. The "red route", a new eight mile dual carriageway linking the A55 at Northop, Flintshire with the A494 and A550, was previously identified as the preferred option for relieving cross border congestion, but was one of the major building projects dropped in 2023 over environmental a review of the route is part of the proposed Regional Transport Plan for North Wales which looks at ways of boosting the region's campaigners say they are "disappointed" with the revived plan. The 112 page consultation document by Ambition North Wales considers various forms of transport, including rail, road, bus, walking and highlights the A494/A55 Flintshire corridor as one of its "priority routes" and includes the previously identified "red route" as one of the schemes for a the suggestion the road could once again be considered has "shocked" campaigners who are concerned about the potential effects on wildlife habitats. The North Wales Wildlife Trust said that the original proposal for the road had been deemed "unsustainable, unjustifiable, and damaging" by the Welsh Government's Roads Review Panel and that it was "disappointed" to see it reappear in the new draft plan.A spokesperson said: "This 13km highway destroy ancient woodlands, wildflower meadows and centuries-old hedgerows, while endangering species such as otters, bats, barn owls, and badgers. These irreplaceable wildlife habitats must be protected."It is now urging people to get behind their campaign to tell Ambition North Wales that the red route is "still the wrong choice". In the consultation document, Ambition North Wales says the aim is to "provide residents and visitors with more travel choices and better digital connectivity, while also reducing our environmental impact."It is also proposing the case for a third Menai crossing between Anglesey and the mainland should be progressed, an idea that was also shelved two years ago, as well as improvements to the A483 in Wrexham. The draft North Wales Regional Transport Plan is open for consultation until 14 April.
