Derek Gow has campaigned for years to reintroduce beavers into Britain. The animals were hunted to extinction centuries ago, and the case for reintroducing them is a compelling one. Basically, beavers’ building activities, including damming, is one of the best ways to restore the natural environment, conserve natural resources, save endangered species, prevent flooding, and so on. The problem with Gow’s book is, I believe the author. His friends find him entertaining — laugh-out loud funny, according to some of the quotes on the book’s cover. I did not find most of it funny. And while Gow’s “take no prisoners” approach to those who disagree with him, or those he has not yet convinced, may appeal to some, I don’t enjoy reading it. Yes, the case for reintroducing beavers into Britain is rock solid. But those who are not yet familiar with the evidence, or may just have differing opinions, are not worthless sods. ( )

The Eurasian beaver was native to the island of Great Britain. ... until they were hunted to extinction around 400 years ago. . In mainland Europe the beaver clung on, but its numbers were reduced to around 1200 scattered individuals at the beginning of the twentieth century. But the Eurasian beaver has made a comeback, through official (and also very unofficial) reintroduction schemes, and the control of hunting. By the end of the twentieth century beaver populations within continental Europe were thought to number around half a million (now over a million), and thoughts were turning to the reintroduction of the beaver within Great Britain. And so today, there are once again beavers living wild and breeding here, not very many it’s true, and the tide could still turn against them, but they are there.

Derek Gow is one of the people who have been instrumental in making that dream a reality, battling with bureaucracy, vested interests. antagonistic politicians and hostile (and frequently bemused) farmers along the way:

‘Years ago, one farmer who blessed me with the time required to explain why we wanted to introduce beavers into his wetlands said, ‘ Well, Derek, I know nothing about this. Never thought about it at all . It makes as much sense to me as if you had come in here and said that you wished to put a great white shark in the reservoir, a giraffe on the hill in the far distance and a troop of dog-faced baboons in the trees below my house. Now bugger off.’

I can’t help comparing any book on the topic of rewinding with the wonderful Wilding by Isabella Tree, and it doesn’t match up to that, but an interesting read for those interested in the subject. ( )