A colony of beavers looks set to be introduced to a Montgomeryshire nature reserve after Natural Resources Wales backed the plans.

After a consultation which saw nearly 2,000 responses submitted, the environmental body now looks set to approve the plans by Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust to release Eurasian beavers into an enclosure near Machynlleth.

NRW has capped the number of beavers that can be released into the secure enclosure at Cors Dyfi Nature Reserve as part of the project at six.

The licence permitting the release of the beavers, which would be at an undisclosed location on the reserve, lasts for five years.

In a document outlining the plans, NRW said: "NRW, as the authority for the determination of any species licence application, has considered the licence application submitted by the Montgomery Wildlife Trust.

"Having reviewed the documents submitted NRW was minded to issue a licence."

"NRW has requested additional information from the applicant in the form of an updated escape and re-capture plan which will include details of fence maintenance and fence monitoring and also an updated exit strategy.

"These have been requested as independent stand-alone documents that can be quickly and easily referenced if required.

"A final decision on the licence will rest with provision of satisfactory information as requested for inclusion in these documents."

The consultation launched on September 14 and closed on October 11, with 1,956 people responding. Of those, 877 were a cut and paste positive response suggested by wildlife trusts, and another 885 commented positively on beavers' impact on waterways.