Kits born
The first wild beavers to be born in Scotland since the 16th century have been exploring their surroundings at Knapdale Forest in Argyll. The newborn beavers, known as kits, belong to different family groups. The species was released into the wild last year in a trial re-introduction project that the Scottish Wildlife Trust and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland are running. Beavers were a native species in the UK until they were hunted to extinction over 400 years ago. They weigh about 450 grams when they’re born. They have a full coat of fur, their eyes are wide open and they can swim. The kits will remain with their groups until they’re about two years old, when they’ll leave in search of their own territories. SNH are coordinating the independent scientific monitoring of the trial, which forms part of Scotland’s Species Action Framework. “The Scottish beaver trial is running for seven years and will help ministers decide whether or not beavers can be reintroduced into the wild elsewhere in Scotland,” said Martin Gaywood of SNH. “The appearance of the kits is an important milestone. We will follow their progress with interest and report on how they get on.”
Access info on the web
A phone service that provides information about accessing Scottish hills during the deer stalking season has been boosted with the introduction of a trial website this year. The ‘Hillphones’ scheme alerts hillwalkers and climbers about locations where
red deer stalking is taking place. It does this through regularly updated phone messages from 1 July to 20 October. This year it’s been coupled with a new trial website, which will test out alternative ways of providing the information for walkers. Hillphones covers 12 popular mountain areas around Scotland. The scheme allows walkers to enjoy their day on the hill and be confident that they’re not disturbing stalking. The trial website – called ‘Heading for the Scottish hills’ – takes this a step further by exploring a new way of providing this information. SNH will review the trial scheme at the end of the stalking season and decide what should happen next based on the feedback received. You can access the trial website at
www.outdooraccess-scotland.com/hftsh
www.snh.gov.uk 17
NEWS
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