June 18 (UPI) — A London Underground station once plagued by constant flooding is now staying dry thanks to some recent arrivals in the neighborhood: beavers.
The Greenford subway station and surrounding streets in the Ealing borough of London used to experience regular flooding during rainstorms, to the point where officials had considered creating an artificial reservoir to alleviate the situation.
Those plans were canceled when local conservationists suggested they inside reintroduce beavers, which went extinct in Britain about 400 years ago due to over-hunting.
The Ealing Beaver Project moved a family of five wild beavers into the 24-acre area known as Paradise Fields in 2023. The animals have since transformed the area into a natural wetland, and the Greenfield station ceased flooding as a result.
“Everything downstream is much more protected from flooding than it was before, all because they want to hold that water back so that they have enough water to swim in and feel safe,” Şeniz Mustafa of the Ealing Beaver Project told CBC News.
Researchers said there are now at least eight beavers in the colony.
Sean McCormack, a veterinarian, wildlife conservationist and project leader at the Ealing Beaver Project, said the beavers have also proven popular with locals, who can often be found visiting the area just to watch the animals.
“We’re demonstrating here that actually it’s not that wild an idea to live alongside beavers,” he told CNN.
The beavers are also helping to raise money for the project, with Mustafa leading “beaver safaris” multiple times a week. The tours, which cost about $37 per person, are frequently sold out.