Health, disease and genetic screening of the free-living Beavers on the Avon catchment

Natural England want to monitor the health and genetics of free-living beavers (Castor fiber) in England, specifically in the Avon river catchment, during the winter of 2022-23, to provide information of relevance to the potential reintroduction of beavers in England. Beavers will be trapped and examined in the field. The aim of this work is to improve our understanding of the health of the free-living beavers in the Avon catchment in the context of their genetic status and the proposed reintroduction programme.