Beavers return to Cairngorms for first time in 400 years

Beavers have returned to part of Scotland, almost 400 years after they were driven to extinction in the country.

Two pairs of the animal were released in the Cairngorms as part of a reintroduction project.

Beavers are mammals which have strong teeth and jaws which are very useful tools when it comes to building dams.

Over the next five years 15 families could be released in the national park, which conservation groups say could improve water quality and natural habitats, and also help reduce the risk of floods.

The beavers were caught by the River Tay and checked over to make sure they were healthy before being released.

The four animals were released in the upper River Spey catchment in Cairngorms, an area where experts officially have permission to do so.

Beavers died out in Scotland around 400 years ago, but started to be reintroduced back in 2009.

They can now be found in Tayside, on the Forth, in Knapdale and Loch Lomond.

Biodiversity Minister Lorna Slater helped with one of releases of the beavers.

She says the release is a key milestone in ensuring the "iconic species can once again thrive across Scotland".

But not everyone is happy about the move, some landowners are concerned about the damage they could do to farm and wood land.

Meanwhile some farmers have say there wasn't a proper consultation before the releases.