francois: pleasure. sacha mcbain: thank you. john: beavers were hunted into extinction in england in the 17th century. this past week, for the first time, beavers were legally released into the english countryside. conservationists hailed it as a watershed moment for this keystone species which helps combat flooding and drought by engineering the landscape with dams and channels. alex thomson of independent television news was at purbeck nature reserve in dorset for the historic event. reporter: the sea mist wreathed corfe castle from dawn, but the way is now cleared for beavers here and beyond. the short walk to the edge of the national trusts purbeck x literally marks the spot so many have worked for so long to achieve. >> it's exciting for someone like me who has worked 40 years for this. today sounds really exciting, which sounds like a small thing, two pairs of beavers being released here, but actually is a bold step in reversing the decline of beavers. reporter: all but cut off from the mainland purbeck's this stunning landscape of lagoon, bog, forest. at the designated release spot, the court i