Half a dozen beavers have been legally released at two sites in Somerset in a bid to restore a river and wetland.
The releases, one involving a mother and her three children and another involving a pair of Eurasian beavers, took place at spots across the National Trust’s Holnicote Estate on Exmoor on Tuesday.
It is the second time the charity has been granted a licence by Natural England to release beavers into the wild after the first release on the Purbeck Estate in Dorset in March last year.
The species was previously released into enclosed areas of the Holnicote Estate in 2020 as part of a trial reintroduction.
Ben Eardley, project manager at the National Trust, said the latest release was “incredibly exciting and is the latest step in our ambitions to restore a huge swathe of Somerset countryside and moorland to help bring back nature”.
He called beavers “extraordinary partners” in the work done by the charity to help “restore nature” and said the semiaquatic mammals play a “vital role” in slowing water flow, creating and holding wetland habitats, reducing erosion and improving water quality.
Mr Eardley added: “Across the estate they will have the opportunity to develop their own territory, enabling them to create wetlands, ponds, build dams, and enrich the landscape in ways only beavers can.”
Why the comeback?
It comes nearly 12 months after the government approved the wild release of beavers following years of discussion about their reintroduction.
Beavers became extinct in Britain more than 400 years ago due to hunting for their pelts, meat, and glands.
They have made their way back to England’s rivers in recent years, through escapes from enclosures and illegal releases, and in 2022 were given legal protection.
Conservationists have long called for the return of beavers to the English countryside, but concerns have been raised about their release, including the risk of flooding and targeting of crops such as maize and cricket bat willow.
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Nature minister Mary Creagh said: “It was a privilege to witness beavers returning to Somerset.
“These extraordinary creatures are brilliant for biodiversity, reduce flood risk and improve water quality in our rivers.
“The return of beavers is a vital part of this government’s mission to protect and restore nature, and we’re working closely with local communities to maximise their benefits.”
On Monday, two pairs of beavers were released by Cornwall Wildlife Trust into the Par and Fowey river catchments.
