South American forests ravaged as animals swarm north, raising concerns about reintroduction to Britain

Helicopters carrying teams of trappers and hunters, accompanied by dogs, are needed to save some of the planet's rarest forests from a devastating predatory menace: the beaver.

That is the recommendation of the international organisation Advanced Conservation Strategies in a report commissioned by Chile and Argentina.

The document, presented to both governments this month, says only a multimillion-dollar project can protect South America from tens of thousands of beavers gnawing their way through its woodlands. If adopted, the scheme would be the largest eradication project attempted by conservationists.

The beaver plan will raise considerable interest in Britain where wildlife groups are finalising controversial plans to reintroduce the animals here.

'I have seen the impact of all sorts of animals introduced to new habitats, but I have never seen anything like the damage inflicted by these beavers,' said Josh Donlan, of the ACS. 'They move along rivers and lay waste to their banks. It looks as if bulldozers have been let loose. Millions of acres have been wrecked.'

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