IN PICTURES: Beavers released into Cropton Forest

Forestry England has brought a pair of Eurasian beavers from Scotland to Cropton Forest near Pickeirng for a revolutionary trial in natural flood management.

Spanning five years the trial will assess will the impact of the beavers’ activity on the long-term sustainability and maintenance of the “slowing the flow” artificial wooden dams. The dams have been helping to protect areas including nearby Pickering from flooding. This will be the first time in the United Kingdom that the effects beaver have on artificial dams has ever been studied.