Severn Stories
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Some plants and animals escape to the wild, from gardens and collections and cause
problems.
Muskrats
Muskrats were brought here from North America to be bred for their thick fur. They
are like very large water voles with a flattened tail to help them swim.
Some of these muskrats escaped into the River Severn and
multiplied rapidly, making their burrows in riverbanks. Due to the damage they caused the muskrats
had to be exterminated. They were declared extinct in the River Severn in 1937.
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Some plants on the banks of the River Severn are unwelcome aliens. They 'escape'
from gardens and grow unchecked in the wild, smothering local plants.
Want to know more?
One example of these alien plants is Himalayan Balsam, shown
here. It has
explosive seedheads. Try squeezing a seed pod gently in your fingers, the seeds
will explode into your hand. This is what enables the plant to spread very rapidly along the river banks.
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