Wildlife watchers in mid Wales will have the chance to see a species that has been extinct in the area for almost 400 years.
The Eurasian beaver Castor fiber were recently reintroduced to mid Wales in the Cors Dyfi Nature Reserve in Machynlleth to restore the wetland ecosystem and enrich its biodiversity.
For the first time, members of the public will be able to see the animals up-close as part of a new partnership between the North Wales Wildlife Trust and Go North Wales which will offer evening watching sessions throughout the summer.
Alicia Leow-Dyke, Welsh Beaver Project Officer said: "Beavers are crepuscular, most active around dawn and dusk so very rarely seen during the day time, but our evening events are aimed to give people the opportunity to see them.
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"Animal welfare is our top priority so any viewing opportunities will be carefully managed to minimise disturbance."
The Welsh Beaver Project has been operating since 2005 and is led by North Wales Wildlife Trust.
In 2021, a small family of beavers from Scotland were released into a large enclosure at Cors Dyfi as part of a habitat restoration project.
READ MORE: New plans to reintroduce beaver population on River Dyfi
Although not a full reintroduction, the small population within the enclosed seven acres represents the first beavers in Wales since the species was driven to extinction in the 1600s.
Among many supporters, project garnered the backing of TV naturalist Iolo Williams, with the BBC and S4C presenter urging people to get behind the initiative.
He said: “Beavers used to be in Wales and we need them back. They'll create habitats for all kinds of wildlife - nurseries for fish. for invertebrates, for amphibians, for mammals, for birds.
"They are going to be vital for much of our countryside in the future.
"So please get behind the Welsh Wildlife Trusts and support the Welsh Beaver Project."
Jim Jones, the chief executive of North Wales Tourism, said: "Our role is to help develop a tourism toolkit to specifically look at the promotion of beavers in the Dyfi area, where they've also have done a great job promoting the ospreys.
“Beavers are amazing native animals with an interesting history and impressive building skills. The resources developed by North Wales Tourism will allow visitors to learn more about these fascinating creatures and raise the profile of this interesting new attraction in Wales.”
People can visit https://www.dyfiospreyproject.com/events to book a place.
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