BBC News
By James McCarthy
Wales first officially-licenced beavers could arrive from Scotland within weeks.
The mammals were hunted to extinction across Britain in the 16th Century for their fur, meat and scent glands.
However the Welsh Beaver Project is hopeful it will be granted a licence to keep as many as six in an enclosure.
The animals would be housed at Cors Dyfi Nature Reserve, near Machynlleth, Powys, where they would be used to clear willow trees.
It is hoped the semi-aquatic mammal could restore the three-hectare wetland habitat, boosting other species.
Alicia Leow-Dyke, of the Welsh Beaver Project, said: Beavers coppice trees, they feed on the willow bark and barks of other trees.