The new report has highlighted that the beaver population in Scotland is expanding rapidly – and could top 10,00o animals by 2030 if left unchecked.

At the moment there is an estimated 424 beaver territories with more than 1500 individuals and if this trajectory continues, it is expected this could hit five-figures by the end of this decade. But, the research showed that more people were taking advantage of new rules which permit animals to be trapped and moved, as opposed to lethal control.

The figures for 2022 show a reduction from 120 to 108 beavers removed under licence from 'conflict areas' in Tayside to prevent serious damage to agriculture. Meanwhile, a total of 45 were trapped and moved to licenced projects, compared with 33 in the previous year.

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Of these, 15 were released to the wild in Scotland. A total of 63 beavers were killed under licence, a significant decrease from 87 in 2021. In addition, 108 dams were removed under licence.

This increase in trapping and translocation partly reflected a change in Scottish Government policy to support expansion of the population across Scotland, which came into effect last summer.

Biodiversity Minister Lorna Slater said: “It is welcome news to see the increase in the proportion of beavers being translocated and that numbers in Scotland are increasing, but more work is required. It is vital that we continue to protect and value these iconic animals.

“The report indicates that not only are beaver population numbers increasing at a healthy rate, but that alternative forms of management are being actively used by land managers to reduce their impact. This is a direct result of our commitment to promote the expansion of beavers to all parts of Scotland.”

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However, NFU Scotland president, Martin Kennedy, did not welcome the expansion mooted in the report: “As a key stakeholder, NFU Scotland has strived to ensure that the views and concerns of farmers and crofters are always accounted for when it comes to managing beaver numbers in Scotland but many will be alarmed at figures projecting an expansion in population to 10,000 before the end of the decade.

“We will continue to work with all parties going forward to ensure that damage to productive farmland is prevented and our members’ ability to produce healthy, sustainable food and maintain valuable historical features, such as floodbanks and mature trees, are preserved, regardless on the numbers of beavers or where they are located.

“We believe in sensitively managing wildlife to benefit and improve our biodiversity in balance with our need to produce food and keep the nation fed. Beavers in the wrong areas are proven to cause significant and costly agricultural damage so where mitigation and trapping measures fail, dam removal and lethal control must remain an option to prevent serious damage before it occurs.

“Given the rapid expansion in numbers, in the future, Scottish Government must ensure that a fully funded standalone mitigation scheme can be accessed by all who wish to prevent beaver damage on their land, alongside a fully funded compensation scheme for those who have been adversely affected.”