A gnawing pain or a welcome worker? On the trail of the rogue beaver

IT WAS such a beautiful morning that Jake Moorcock thought he would check his apple trees for signs of an early spring. The trouble was - they had gone.

At first, the 25-year-old forester thought a deer had knocked over the six trees in his Perthshire garden and stripped six more next door. Then he saw the tell-tale teeth marks on the remaining stumps, which had been sharpened into points. Only one creature could do this damage. A beaver.

"I was pretty gutted. It looked like the trees had been chopped down and the stumps got at with a giant pencil sharpener, there were bits of chipping everywhere, like a chainsaw had been used," said Mr Moorcock.

He was confused. Beavers became extinct in Scotland some 400 years ago.

But it that emerged enthusiastic supporters of the campaign to reintroduce the creature to Scotland were keeping European beavers in enclosures next door and one had escaped.

"It was a bit crazy. I thought, 'What next? Wolves?'" said Mr Moorcock.

The female beaver escaped from an enclosure in the grounds of Bamff, an estate near Alyth. Paul Ramsay, the landowner, has two breeding pairs. He said a further beaver had been recently introduced to an extended enclosure but must have been pushed out by the established colonies.

"Beavers are territorial creatures. I think that is what encouraged the new-comer to go downstream and break through."

The beaver, which remains on the loose, will now have to be live-trapped and found another enclosure away from the territories of the other beavers.

However, Mr Ramsay is hoping for the reintroduction of the beaver in the area in the long run. He argues that the creatures are good for biodiversity, as they create wetlands and purify the water of nitrates and phosphates by introducing more plant life.

Also, in an area with flood problems like Perthshire, the creatures can slow down the water by building dams.

However, Michael Clarke, 32, a neighbouring farmer, was less supportive. He said the escaped beaver had caused nearly £1,000 worth of damage.

He said: "I think it's terrible they have destroyed someone's garden. If I had fruit trees, I would be very afraid."

Objectors to the idea of beaver reintroduction fear that the creatures will not only fell trees but flood roads and prevent salmon from migrating down rivers. The Scottish Executive rejected the idea less than two years ago but is currently reconsidering.

For now, Mr Moorcock is fairly relaxed about the new addition to his garden - although the remaining fruit trees have been gaffer-taped with plastic protection.

A spokeswoman for the Scottish Wildlife Trust, which led the campaign to reintroduce beavers to Scotland, said: "Beavers are known as 'water engineers' and are beneficial for the countryside because they recreate wetland habitats which then become a home for all sorts of creatures."

But Jamie Farquhar of the Confederation of Forestry Industries, said the animal should not be reintroduced. "They are capable of some fairly disruptive practices in woodland settings," he said.

THE 'WATER ENGINEER'

THE European beaver (Castor fiber) was hunted to extinction in Britain in the 16th century. It suffered a similar fate elsewhere, but has been reintroduced in 13 European countries.

Beavers benefit wildlife by building dams and creating ponds and wetlands supporting a wide range of species, including voles, invertebrates, birds and breeding fish.

The animals are often regarded as "water engineers" because they regulate flooding and improve water quality by holding silt behind dams, catching acidic run-off.

Opponents say they destroy salmon and fishing beats. Supporters say beavers prefer slow-flowing water rather than the fast-flowing streams used by salmon. However, their dams can halt the salmon's journey.

Critics also say beavers damage native and commercial pine woods through tree-felling and grazing. But this is generally very near rivers and can be managed by fencing.