The Project Conservationists and beaver re-wilding campaigners across Britain are now trialling many projects, bringing beavers into managed environments to study their impact on nature. Wild beavers had been living in Great Britain over 400 years ago before going extinct. They were mainly hunted for their fur and glandular oil, secreted from the base of their tail, thought to contain medicinal properties. Beavers are known as a "keystone species". This is because their natural behaviour has a big impact on our landscape and wildlife. By damming waterways, beavers pool water, slowing the flow in rivers and streams. This water floods an area, creating new wetland and attracting wildlife, providing a home and water source for many species. As wildlife conservation is at the heart of all the Sanctuary´s efforts, they had paired up with various conservation groups across the country to decide on the best use of the large woodland area at the Sanctuary. It was quickly decided that beavers would make an excellent addition to the Sanctuary, providing them with the perfect habitat which will in return open doors to research to further study their impact on the environment.