AS PLANS for reintroducing beavers to Roadford Lake are discussed, a six stone male beaver is still on the loose after escaping from a Broadwoodwidger farm.

The beaver was one of three to escape from Derek Gow's farm in October. It is believed that flooding stopped an electric fence from working, enabling the animals to make a bid for freedom.

The other two beavers, which were female, were quickly caught but the male has evaded capture.

Mr Gow, a conservationist, keeps 24 of the animals under licence from government agency Natural England at Upcott Grange Farm, Broadwoodwidger, Lifton.

Beavers were hunted to extinction in England and Wales during the 13th century and disappeared from Scotland 400 years later. They were hunted for their fur and throat glands, which were believed to have medicinal properties.

The escaped Broad­wood­widger beaver, originally from Bavaria, is believed to be felling trees up to 20 miles away on the banks of the River Tamar near Gunnislake. Mr Gow said he knew where the beaver was but that he was occupying a territory of around a kilometre in length.

The beaver is thought to be searching for a mate and traps, scented with the fragrance of female beavers, were planned to be used to catch him.

Mr Gow has been working closely with South West Water regarding plans for beavers to be reintroduced to Roadford Lake in a project to combat pollution.

The project is being considered by South West Water to prevent harmful blue-green algae from forming.

They say that introducing beavers to the water would lead to the creation of naturally formed dams which would filter out the pollutants that cause the algae to form.

It is illegal to release beavers into the wild without a licence. A feasibility study is being carried out to see if one should be issued for Roadford Lake.

Some residents fear their land could be at risk of flooding if beavers build dams at the lake but Mr Gow said there would be no rules protecting the dams and that it would be possible to take them down. He thought it would be likely that landowners would be given financial incentives for allowing some of their land to become waterlogged.

Mr Gow also believed that reintroducing beavers and allowing them to cut back trees on the water's edge would allow light in and help encourage an abundance of plant and wildlife. He also said it would help the water vole population and possibly encourage tourism.