LONDON — Six beavers from Bavaria were released in western England on Thursday in a second attempt to restore a species that has been extinct in the country since the 12th century.

An earlier effort in 2001 flopped because the beavers failed to breed.

The new batch of beavers was released into a 15-hectare (37-acre) enclosure at the Cotswold Water Park.

"I hope I live to see the day that beavers are freely roaming across the countryside once again," said Simon Pickering of the Cotswold Water Park Society.

Hunters wiped out the beaver population in England in the 12th century, but the animals survived into the 16th century in Scotland.

Pickering said he did not expect to see much construction activity in the beaver enclosure.

"They are essentially very lazy animals and will spend much of their time lying about sleeping and eating," he told reporters.

"The European beaver is much more gentle than the Canadian beaver, and causing damage will not be an issue with them. Unlike their Canadian cousins, they don't tend to build as many dams."

Source: Associated Press