Beavers reintroduced to west London for first time in 400 years to improve biodiversity

LONDON (AP) — Environmentalists and London’s mayor have helped bring beavers back to the city for the first time in some 400 years in an effort to improve the British capital’s biodiversity. Mayor Sadiq Khan participated in releasing a family of beavers into a wetland area in Ealing, a residential area of west London, on Wednesday. The hope is that the rodents will help improve the wetland’s ecosystem and establish habitats for other creatures, including fish, birds and amphibians. Beavers were hunted to extinction in England around 400 years ago, but environmentalists have reintroduced them in areas across the country.