The first wild beavers to be seen in England for centuries are about to be captured by DEFRA and put in a new home - either a zoo or a wildlife park.

Recent video footage has shown a small family of wild beaver thriving in the River Otter in Devon. Experts have said the sighting is important as it strongly suggests a small breeding population of beavers now exists in the UK outside captivity.

A DEFRA spokesman has said: "Depending on the source of the animals, they could be carrying a disease not currently present in the UK. In addition, beavers have not been an established part of our wildlife for the last 500 years. Our landscape and habitats have changed since then and we need to assess the impact they could have."

Let's petition DEFRA now to allow these indigenous animals to remain in their natural habitat! Rather than harming the environment, the beavers could actually help it by clearing trees and creating habitats for other flora and fauna.