A secret group of activists are reintroducing beavers into the wild, as they believe the legal routes to release beavers are "too bureaucratic."
By carrying out the unlicensed release of beavers, the members of the group are risking arrest and potential prison time, and due to this, they have to work in secrecy.
It is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to release beavers into the wild without a licence, and countryside groups have called on the government to take stronger action to manage illegal releases.
However, a member shared with the BBC, "It is just essentially God's work. We're undoing the damage of hundreds of years ago and bringing back these extraordinary animals."
Earlier this year, the UK government approved the release of beavers into the English wild in hopes of reducing flood risks and restoring natural habitats.
Furthermore, a licensing system has been introduced to allow the revival of the semi-aquatic animals, whose dams, canals, and ponds enhance wildlife and offer protection against floods and droughts.
There have been only two full applications to release beavers into the wild, The River Otter Beaver Trial from 2015 to 2020, and the National Trust's Purbeck Beaver Project, which released two pairs in Dorset earlier this year.
Due to hunting, beavers, vital for shaping their environments, disappeared from Britain over four centuries ago.
They have since reappeared in England's rivers through escapes and illegal releases and were legally protected in 2022.
