How eight beavers solved a Tube problem engineers have pondered for years

A group of helpful beavers have saved London residents from a flooding issue that’s been plaguing the area since the 1970s.

Residents of Greenford, Ealing, were left unable to get to the local London Underground station whenever there was heavy rainfall.

The council had attempted to resolve the issue with expensive interventions but turned out they just needed to reintroduce beavers to the area.

Three years ago, five beavers were released in Paradise Fields and have gone on to build several dams in the area.

The ‘ecosystem engineers’ have managed to stem the flow of water as well as create wetlands to allow the park to store large volumes of water.

Greenford’s newest residents have also become a slight tourist attraction, with urban beaver officer Seniz Mustafa sharing locals are ‘so happy’.

She told the Independent: ‘The community of Greenford was greatly affected by [flooding], and 2024 was the first year the local area didn’t flood. It’s not just people trying to get to the Tube, but it’s people in their houses, going to work, going to school, trying to drive their car, so it’s had such a direct impact.’

It’s believed there are at least eight beavers now living in the park, although Seniz suspects the mother, Willow, may have had more kits.

This isn’t the only beaver project in the city, with another set up in Enfield the same year.

The project marks the first time in 400 years that the water-loving creatures have been in London since they were hunted to near extinction for their fur and scent glands.

It’s thought that by the turn of the 20th century, there were only around 1200 beavers left in Europe, with none recorded in the UK.

In 2019, Scottish beavers were given protected status, following late 00s attempts to reintroduce them to the country. In 2022, England’s beavers were also protected.

There are plans to create a similar project in Croydon, which is on track for 2028.

Ealing’s beaver family found some fame, having been featured in David Attenborough’s Wild London documentary.

‘If someone had told me when I first moved here that one day I would have been watching wild beavers in London, I would have thought they were mad,’ he said in the BBC film.

‘The whole wetland has been brought back to life, and it can now retain a lot more water. Incredibly, for the first time in a decade, residential areas downstream have been flood-free.’

Their felling of trees has also let more sunlight into the area surrounding the brook, resulting in an increase in fish and boom in local wildlife.

Dominic Moffitt, Ealing Council’s cabinet member for climate action, said: ‘This project shows how working with nature can improve our resilience and help us respond to the growing challenges of climate change.

‘By supporting the reintroduction of beavers at Paradise Fields, we have enabled a natural solution that is slowing the flow of water, reducing flood risk for local communities, and improving biodiversity at the same time.’

He called it a ‘powerful example of how innovative, nature-based approaches can complement traditional flood management, deliver lasting benefits for the environment, and enable better living for Ealing residents.’

A spokesperson for the Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, said: ‘It’s fantastic to see the Ealing beavers thriving in their new home. Nature is more than just something we visit; it’s part of how London works, and beavers play an important role in supporting local habitats.

‘It’s incredible that in only a few short years they have helped stop flooding at a local station, transformed Paradise Fields into a flourishing wetland and helped to improve the biodiversity of the area.’

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