Beavers reintroduced to Britain after being wiped out by hunting win historic right to remain on Devon river
BEAVERS have won the permanent 'right to remain' in a river in the UK.
The River Otter in East Devon is already home to the 15 beaver families who were part of a five year study into their impact on the local environment.
They have been monitored by the Devon Wildlife Trust (DWT) and the government has now granted them permission to stay.
The Trust said this was "the most ground-breaking government decision for England's wildlife for a generation."
Beavers were first spotted in the river in 2008 but no one was sure of their origin or who was responsible for releasing them.
Some suspect wildlife activists illegally put them in the river.
It's now been decided the beavers can have positive impacts for farmers and landowners.
"Many of these species have been lost from rivers such as the Otter.
"We wrote to the Secretary of State about our concerns that the fish impacts studies for the River Otter were flawed."
Beaver supporters think all the beavers need is the right management to have more positive impacts.
Beaver facts
Here's what you need to know about the cute creatures...
There are two species of beaver - the North American beaver and the Eurasian beaver.
They're known for building huge underwater homes out of wood that are called dams.
Beavers are the second largest rodent in the world.
They secrete a goo-like substance called castoreum. It smells like vanilla and is sometimes used in human products, such as perfumes.
Beavers are thought to be monogamous and a couple will live inside a dam with their offspring.
They have orange front teeth that are extra-strong and help them bite through trees.
UK hunters once hunted them to extinction in the 1700s.
In other news, there's been a huge surge in fires in the Amazon rainforest.
KFC is working with a Russian 3D bioprinting company to create lab-produced chicken nuggets.
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And, bison are returning to the UK 6,000 years after prehistoric Brits hunted them to extinction.
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