Scottish Beavers – a hit or a myth?

20130802_161950When was the last time you stood by a huge field of golden swaying barley?

Aye it makes you think.

Yes it is summer.

Yes it is a lush green beautiful Scottish summer.

But things have changed.

And so have I.

This was underlined this weekend in Perthshire filming with The One Show.

 

The film is all about beavers.

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Pause for all the smutty jokes please and move along.

Thank you.

Yes 400 years ago beavers lived amongst us and there is a trial ongoing to reintroduce them.  In addition there are wild ones out there too…..what?

No I didn’t know we had them either

But we do.

And what delightful toothsome creatures they are too.
Yes there are pros and there are cons which will be discussed when the piece airs – I will keep you posted when that will be – but the bottom line is look! It’s not often you get a close up view of such a wondrous thing as this.

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What is it?

 

Well it is a wild Scottish beavers foot. Back foot. It’s hairy, soft, webbed and just about the most strokeable thing I have ever stroked. Is strokeable a word? If not then can I put in a vote to make it henceforth the word that is synonymous with a beavers foot.

Thank you.

I am off to google rodents.

Read all about the Scottish Beaver trial here.

***The beaver is under supervision of a vet and nurse and sophisticated operating theatre equipment in this photo. Stats were being taken for scientific information gathering.  The blue balloon on the right was not the remnant of a party in fact quite the contrary. It was filled with warm water to keep the temperature of the animal consistent whilst temporarily anesthitised. It was back up and bobbling down a river within a remarkably short period of time despite me trying to talk him into coming to live with me. Since then we have not been in touch. We parted friends. ****

AlisonsDiary

Writer & broadcaster.

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