[title]
Calling all animal-loving Londoners! Soon you’ll be able to spot more than just pigeons, seagulls and the odd rat in the capital, as a new rewilding project is bringing back two rare animal species to the city. The project is called Rewilding East London, it’s taking place in Eastbrookend Country Park in Dagenham, and the plans have been officially approved by local council leaders.
After going extinct as breeding birds in the 1400s due to overhunting and habitat loss, white storks are coming back to the capital – but that isn’t all. The Mayor of London-backed scheme will also reintroduce beavers to the area. While the storks will call Eastbrookend Country Park home, the beavers are being welcomed by The Chase nature reserve.
White storks are distinguished by their lanky legs, monochrome feathers and large stature (standing up to 1.5m tall). The birds’ return to the capital will be quite the occasion – and not just for bird-nerds. While white storks are native to the British Isles, up until now they have mostly been breeding across central and southern Europe.
Beavers aren’t so unheard of in London. The creatures, famed for building dams and lodges all with their teeth, already feature at Paradise Fields in Ealing, which is the UK’s only publicly accessible urban beaver site.
The goal of Rewilding East London is to boost biodiversity and improve access to nature and green spaces in Dagenham. As well as restoring wetland habitats, the project will boast a purpose-built aviary – or in layman's terms, a ‘bird house’ – for the storks (and hopefully their chicks). The beavers will stay in an accessible enclosure with two lakes, featuring natural woodland.
The project will be delivered in partnership with the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. Sam Davenport, Director of Nature Recovery at London Wildlife Trust, said: ‘Reintroducing iconic flagship species like white storks and beavers will inspire communities to connect with nature and landowners to create more wetland habitats, in turn, benefiting other species.
‘In this way, the reintroduction of white storks and beavers becomes a catalyst for wider ecological restoration, helping to build a greener, more resilient London for generations to come.’
Barking and Dagenham Council deputy leader Saima Ashraf said the arrival of storks in the borough would be a ‘bold and historic moment’.
‘This is a once-in-a-generation chance to witness nature's comeback into your own backyard.’
In short, east London’s wildlife-spotting scene is about to get a lot juicier. Londoners will be able to visit the storks from October 2026 at Eastbrookend Country Park in Dagenham, while the new beavers will be there from March 2027.
Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke – from news and reviews to events and trends. Just follow our Time Out London WhatsApp channel.
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out London newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox.