Wild beavers are to be officially reintroduced into England after a centuries-long absence.

The government made the announcement last week, paving the way for the rodent to make a proper comeback throughout the country’s waterways.

Beavers had been extinct in Britain for about four centuries after being hunted for their fur and meat, but following limited licensed as well as illegal releases over the last two decades, there are now believed to be about 500 living in the wild.

The first releases could happen as early as autumn. Environmental groups licenced to carry out introduction projects will be required to consult Nature England first and provide a 10-year plan, taking into account farmers and landowners’ interests.

Wildlife associations and conservationists have welcomed the news, citing the rodent’s flood-busting skills in building dams, which break up waterways and slow the flow of rivers.

Their presence also leads to the creation of new wetlands, thereby helping to boost biodiversity, according to a recent study by Exeter University.

The Devon Wildlife Trust (DWT) congratulated the government on its decision, saying it would pave the way for the native species “to roam wild in British rivers and lakes once more”.

It pointed out that beavers also had a key role to play in reducing pollution, as they retain and release water, thereby filtering toxic substances.

The River Otter in Devon was until now the only licensed location where wild beavers have been released, as part of a five-year reintroduction trial. According to estimates, there are reportedly about 30 family groups living on the river.

There are no known beaver populations in the South Hams, although obtaining accurate numbers is difficult as beavers are secretive and mostly nocturnal creatures.

Pete Burgess, for DWT, said: “The beavers in Devon have inspired communities to take action for nature and have boosted tourist visits. I’ve had the privilege of experiencing how wildlife thrives with the return of beavers and wish everyone to have this opportunity in their lives.”

The reintroduction of the large rodent also appears to have overwhelming public support, according to Defra, which held a consultation three years ago, but the National Farmers Union (NFU) has voiced reservations, saying beavers could have a negative impact on productive farmland.

“Beavers can flood and waterlog fields, feed on agricultural crops like maize, as well as damage and fell trees such as cricket bat willow,” according to NFU deputy president David Exwood, who nonetheless said that in the right location beavers could provide “certain benefits”.

NFU president Tom Bradshaw went further and was quoted in The Guardian, saying farmers “should be able to kill unruly beavers” if they “end up in the wrong place”, adding that lethal control was necessary if the species is to be reintroduced more widely.

It is understood that ‘lethal control’ will be used only as a last resort.

West Devon-based ecologist and author Derek Gow, who has campaigned for decades for the reintroduction of the rodent, posted “Hooray!!” on X on hearing the government’s announcement.

But Mr Gow, who wrote the bestselling book ‘Bringing Back the Beaver’, slammed the NFU for its comments on lethal control, describing its representatives as “dim, grim”.

He said: “The time really has come to deny this over-powerful industrial lobby any voice in nature’s recovery. It thinks backwards.”