From prehistoric times up until around 500 years ago, beavers thrived across Britain. They called this little island home and shaped its landscape for centuries before humans came along. By the 1500s, they’d been hunted to extinction. But generations later, beavers are back.
The creatures have slowly been reintroduced to the UK. Two Eurasian beavers were recently introduced to Shropshire and more have been released in places like Devon, Somerset and Cornwall, and even London over the past few years. Now, a beaver has been spotted in the wild in Norfolk for the first time in 500 years. And no one knows exactly where it came from.
The beaver was caught on camera last week, dragging logs and establishing a base on the River Wensum at the Pensthorpe nature reserve. It’s a huge cause of celebration for British conservation. Research has shown that the recovery of beavers across the country helps to improve water quality, slow water flow and reduce flood risk, increase biodiversity and create vital wetland refuges for wildlife.
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Richard Spowage, the reserve’s manager, reckons that the beaver has been living in the quiet, isolated spot for about a month. He said: ‘This discovery is an exciting moment for Pensthorpe. The fact that it has chosen our land to establish a territory reflects the ongoing work we have been doing to improve our river and surrounding land for nature.
‘Beavers are returning to river systems and wetland landscapes across parts of the UK, and it’s encouraging to see individuals moving through Norfolk too. We’re monitoring the situation carefully, but for now this is fantastic news for nature recovery.’
In order to protect its new resident, Pensthorpe has kept the beaver’s exact location confidential and restricted access to the area.
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