First wild beavers for 500 years in England

Beavers have been reintroduced to England, 500 years after they were hunted to extinction for their fur.

Six European beavers have been released at Lower Mill Estate near South Cerney, Gloucestershire, and are the first to roam wild in England for centuries.

The six adult rodents were caught in Bavaria in the spring and have spent the last few months in quarantine.

If the pioneering scheme is successful, it is hoped beavers can once again thrive in the British countryside.