Beaver report: 84 removed under licence and 22 killed in a year

NatureScot removed 84 beavers under licence at 22 sites in 2025/26, most of them trapped on prime agricultural land, the agency’s annual Beaver Management Report shows. Twenty-two animals were killed under licence over the year, one fewer than the year before and significantly below earlier levels of lethal control.

Where did the removed beavers go?

Of the 84 animals removed at 22 sites where their activities risked serious impacts, 35 were released elsewhere in Scotland. Families were moved to the Cairngorms National Park, to Forestry and Land Scotland ground at Glen Affric and Tay Forest Park, and to Abriachan Forest in the Beauly catchment. A further 24 beavers went to licensed projects in England and Wales.

NatureScot credits the balance to the trapping and translocation effort run by the Beaver Trust and Five Sisters Zoo with its funding, and to the willingness of land managers to use non-lethal approaches while others host beavers on their ground. One beaver died while being held in captive care, and two kits are being cared for until they are old enough for release.

What support is there for land managers?

The agency’s Beaver Mitigation Scheme gave support and advice in 107 cases over the year, from installing flow devices to regulate water levels behind beaver dams to advice on protecting trees and culverts.

Dr Jenny Bryce, NatureScot’s beaver team manager, said: “We know that beavers can occasionally cause issues, and as the population continues to spread, our Beaver Mitigation Scheme will continue to be available to help land managers as we learn to live with beavers in our rivers, lochs and wetlands.”

She said beaver wetlands “can also act as natural fire breaks and refuges for wildlife, as well as improving water quality”, and that members of the Scottish Beaver Advisory Group have launched a new information pack on living with beavers.

What happens next

A new survey of beaver populations in the Tay and surrounding catchments will be published later this year, and NatureScot expects it to show a trend of continuing range expansion. Land managers seeing beaver impacts can approach the agency’s mitigation scheme, and the full annual report is available through NatureScot’s announcement below.