Beavers return to London after 400 years – and solve major flooding problem

• The reintroduction of beavers in Paradise Fields, Ealing, has successfully resolved a decades-old flooding problem affecting homes and a Tube station in northwest London.
• Five beavers were introduced in October 2023, and within a year, they constructed a complex wetland system with at least five dams, acting as a natural flood defence.
• Urban beaver officer Seniz Mustafa confirmed that 2024 was the first year the local area did not flood.
• The project, which has seen the beaver population grow to at least eight, marks the first time these creatures have been in London for approximately 400 years.
• Beyond flood mitigation, the beavers' activities have improved water quality, increased biodiversity, and attracted the attention of naturalists like Sir David Attenborough and the Mayor of London.

IN FULL

How eight beavers solved a Tube flooding problem engineers have been trying to fix for years