Reform UK council backs release of beavers amid party row over rewilding
Summary
A council in Leicestershire led by the Reform UK party has approved releasing wild beavers to help reduce flooding, even though the party generally opposes rewilding. Beavers were hunted to extinction in England centuries ago but are now seen as helpful in managing water and improving wildlife habitats.Key Facts
- Leicestershire county council, led by Reform UK, supports releasing wild beavers to reduce flooding.
- Beavers were hunted to extinction in England about 400 years ago but were recently legalized for release by the Labour government.
- Beavers build dams that can control floods, store water, and improve water quality.
- Environmentalists say beavers help increase numbers of bats, fish, birds, amphibians, and insects.
- There is disagreement within Reform UK about rewilding; some members support it while others oppose it.
- Reform leader Nigel Farage is talking with a nature campaigner about nature policies, but the party rejects large-scale rewilding.
- Some Reform UK voters value nature highly, which contrasts with parts of the party that resist environmental policies.
- Farage has criticized plans to replace British banknote images of historical figures with animals like beavers.
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