Beavers are thriving in the river Otter in Devon. But the Government wants to take them away. Friends of the Earth has taken action to prevent the Government from capturing a group of beavers living in the wild in Devon and placing them in captivity.

The environmental campaign group is seeking to challenge licences issued by Natural England to capture the animals.n The action will require Natural England to release further information about the basis on which they issued the licences. This will determine whether or not the legal challenge will proceed.

Beavers are a native species once found right across Britain, which were driven to extinction several hundred years ago.

In recent years several populations have been re-established in Scotland. Wildlife experts – including Natural England itself – have stated that their reintroduction would bring many benefits to the English countryside.

Defra has argued that the beavers should be captured to test them for disease. While it is highly unlikely they are infected, it is possible to test and release them within a day, as is currently done in Scotland.

Friends of the Earth is very concerned that a licence may have been issued to capture the animals without proper consideration for the alternatives. Beavers are a legally protected species under European law. They also ignore the conservation status of the beavers in Britain, which are a legally protected species under European law.

Friends of the Earth campaigner Alasdair Cameron said: "At a time when our wildlife is facing an unprecedented crisis, the Government should be taking steps to protect and expand the range of key native species like the beaver - not removing them from our rivers.

"We know that beavers can bring many benefits, such as boosting fish stocks, improving biodiversity and helping to prevent flooding – as well as injecting a little more joy into our landscape.

"These animals have been living and breeding in Devon for years, Ministers should work with the local community to find a sensible solution that allows them to remain in the wild.

"This is an opportunity to create a richer, better environment for ourselves and our children, where we can experience the beauty of animals that are an important part of our ecosystems."