Here is some fantastic, fluffy news. Efforts throughout the UK attempting to reintroduce beavers to their natural habitats are finally paying off. In recent months, several baby beavers (also known as kits) have been born in wildlife sanctuaries across the country. Dam, indeed.
Three kits have been born in Somerset alone. One of the three is the sixth member of a family living on the National Trust’s Holnicote Estate near Minehead, while the other two (which are twins) arrived at nearby Whiteman’s Moor.
The three new beavers are yet to be named, though the National Trust is following its own tradition in getting the public to pitch in with suggestions. In the past, this has led to kits being named after footballers (like Rashford, Russo and Toone). With the Lionesses currently competing in the World Cup, it’s safe to say this is likely to continue this time around, too.
The new beavers in Somerset follow several years of hard work from conservationists in reintroducing the cute wood-chomping critters to the UK. March 2022 marked the first time in 400 years that beavers returned to London, whilst last month on the National Trust’s Wallington Estate in Northumberland beavers were released back into the wild.
So why are beavers being reintroduced? Well, put plainly, they’re great for the environment. National Trust project manager Ben Eardley explained:
‘Beavers can play an important role helping to combat the climate crisis because their dams help restore dry and degraded wetlands. We’ve already seen the positive change beavers can bring to the landscape at Holnicote and have recorded a dramatic change in water levels on the previously unmanaged woodland, as well as a change to vegetation and light.’
‘These improvements they’ve made to the habitat are what have allowed wildlife to flourish, including fish, water voles, frogs, toads and otters.’
Beavers are a boon for combating the effects of climate change, as these industrious creatures create habitats that can reduce flooding and prevent drought. No wonder they call it ‘beavering away’, eh?
Is it too early to declare a ‘hot beaver summer’? Most definitely. But it certainly is a very good summer for conservationists and nature fans. Here’s to the ongoing beaver renaissance!
Did you see that a vast new Roman road network has been discovered in England?
Plus: a spectacular bird of prey has been born in England for the first time in 240 years.
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