2010 -2011
Erica the beaver has sadly passed away in Edinburgh zoo while under the care of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.
In her short life Erica had become the figurehead of the Scottish wild beaver group and was adopted on behalf of the 45th Perthshire beaver scouts, Aylth, as their group mascot.
Erica will forever be remembered as the most famous of the first young beavers born in the wild in this country since the species was hunted to extinction in Scotland 400 years ago.
Erica gained worldwide celebrity status when she was unfortunate enough to be the only beaver trapped in the wild on the authority of Scottish Natural Heritage and SNP Environment minister Roseanna Cunningham. It is known that beavers do not react well to trapping or to being separated from their family units. It is thought that the stress caused by this unnecessary process may have significantly contributed to the eventual death in captivity of this well loved animal.
The Scottish wild beaver group intend to make sure that Erica did not die in vain and have vowed to keep fighting for the right of existence for all wild beavers in Scotland. A right they are legally entitled to under the protection of European law.
