The first of the beavers now living wild on the River Tay has been trapped and placed in captivity.

Traps caught the beaver near the River Ericht in Blairgowrie, Perthshire, last week.

Campaigners against the move by the Scottish Government body have dubbed the beaver Eric and claim that the trapping initiative could result in some of the estimated 20 beavers living on the River Tay and its tributaries being killed rather than rehomed.

The animal is now being held in captivity at Edinburgh Zoo, while SNH continues to use around six traps in the Blairgowrie area to capture a further two beavers believed to be living there - believed to be Eric’s mother and brother.

Beavers were hunted to extinction in Scotland 400 years ago and a trial reintroduction of the rodents is taking place at Knapdale in Argyll, which began in April 2009 and is due to end in 2015.

The SNH and partners agencies, including the Scottish Wildlife Trust, decided to trap the rodents living in the River Tay and its tributaries after they were released by people who owned them as pets.

A Facebook group, Save the Free Beavers of the Tay, was set up to oppose the planned removal of beavers from the area and has been growing in support.

Members of the group have now named the first beaver trapped as part of the exercise Eric.

A spokesman for the SNH said that all the traps used for the beavers are humane, while all rodents caught will be handed over to Edinburgh Zoo.

He added: “We can confirm a beaver was trapped in Blairgowrie last Wednesday and is now in captivity.

“We know that this decision has not been accepted by everyone, but we believe we are doing the right, sensible and responsible thing by doing this.

“There is a licensed and carefully managed trial reintroduction under way at Knapdale in Argyll.

“Unauthorised releases of beavers subvert and undermine the trial, as it has not been completed we do not know whether the decision will be taken to reintroduce them to Scotland.”