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BBC News
a day ago
- General
- BBC News
Beaver rescued near toilet block in Dorset returned to wild
A beaver, released into the wild by the National Trust, has been rescued from a stream near public toilets, several miles from its original home. The National Trust was first alerted to news the beaver had been spotted in Swanage town centre in Dorset in May. After setting up cameras and checking identification tags, staff were able to confirm the female was part of a project to establish a beaver population at Studland Nature Trust project manager Gen Crisford said she was "surprised" to find the beaver so far from home and arranged for it to be returned to the reserve on safety grounds. In March, a licence was granted for the first time in England to release two pairs of beavers into the wild at Little Sea. Previous licences had only been granted for need areas of deep, fresh water but have been known to travel along the coast to look for new lodgings. The National Trust believes the female swan about 5km (3 miles) around Old Harry Rocks on the Purbeck coast after leaving its lodge."We had considered that that was a route that was possible but we thought it was a bit too far," Mr Crisford explained. "Seeing one turn up in a stream in Swanage town was a big surprise." The animal created a new lodge by a toilet block at King George's playing field. It is a well known dog-walking area and as the stream is not particularly deep, the National Trust opted to return it to Studland over safety Crisford said: "We decided that on this particular occasion that it would be best for the animal and the project if we took her back and reintroduced her at the lake she was at in the beginning."Staff discovered a nick on the beaver's tail and think it may have fled the original area after a fight with another beaver. At least one of the family of beavers has had two new kits this year. "They are very cute," Mr Crisford said, encouraging members of the public to visit the bird hides in the reserve where the kits can be seen "bobbing like corks" in the water. You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Wild beavers reintroduced after 400-year extinction
The first ever wild beavers have been released in a Dorset nature reserve, more than 400 years after their extinction in Britain. Two pairs of the semi-aquatic animals are making a new home at Little Sea lake in Studland, Purbeck, unrestricted by fences or enclosures. This reintroduction follows the government's decision to allow wild populations return to England's rivers and wetlands. The National Trust, which is behind the licensed wild release, called it a "real watershed moment in the history of the species" in the country. The beavers have been brought from the Tay catchment in Scotland by the Beaver Trust. Head of restoration Roisin Campbell-Palmer said there was "high levels of public support" for the return of the animals to England. There have also been concerns about the impact of beavers flooding roads, properties and farmland, and targeting crops such as maize and cricket bat willow. The government announced the releases would be "well-managed" and that communities would be helped to adapt to living with beavers. Gen Crisford, beaver project officer at Purbeck for the conservation charity, said that by working with local landowners and putting measures in place when needed, "we are confident that in Purbeck we will be able to demonstrate how beavers can work for everyone". "Getting the wetlands back into our landscape is absolutely critical in restoring our ecosystems and making sure that they function efficiently and making sure that we do not stay as the most nature depleted country in the long term," said Tracey Churcher, general manager of Purbeck for the trust. "They are key for rebuilding that and always were supposed to be in this landscape. It was persecution that led to their demise." The licensed release comes after two beavers appeared at Little Sea in January 2024, thought to have colonised from elsewhere in Dorset's waterways where they are already living wild, or through an unauthorised release. Marian Spain, chief executive of Natural England, said it was a "historic moment for nature in England", giving them a chance to thrive again in the wild. Known as nature's architects, beavers engineer the landscape with dams, ponds and channels that help other wildlife and counter flooding and drought. The Beaver Trust said they were looking forward to other new wild sites being proposed. You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Beavers return to town after 400 years Baby boom prompts call to boost wild beaver population Beavers return to national park 'after 600 years' Natural England The Beaver Trust The National Trust
