In a landmark conservation event, the first two pairs of Eurasian beavers have been legally released into the wild in Purbeck, Dorset.
This follows the groundbreaking policy announcement from Defra and Natural England last week, which paved the way for the reintroduction of the once-extinct rodent.
The National Trust will care for the animals on the Purbeck Heaths site, which was declared the UK's first Super National Nature Reserve. For the first time since the 16th century, these animals will legally roam freely without being restricted by fenced enclosures.
Relocated from the River Tay catchment in Scotland by experts at the Beaver Trust, the pairs will spend the coming weeks settling into their new home at Little Sea – an 82 acre lake in the Dorset reserve.
The newly-released beavers will join the beaver family that appeared in the lake in early 2024 (whether through illegal release or natural dispersal).
Often described as 'nature's engineers', beavers create wetland habitats which hold water during flooding and drought. Their natural dams also filter water which improves its quality downstream.
Gen Crisford, beaver project officer at Purbeck at the National Trust, says: “We have worked closely with Natural England for the past seven years to develop an approach for a licensed release of beavers into the Purbeck landscape.
“Our chosen site at Little Sea is highly suitable for these special creatures due to it being an expansive body of fresh water surrounded by dense willow woodland which will provide the beavers with plenty of food.
“As the lake is already deep enough, they won’t need to build dams initially, but by creating glades within the willow woodland, new areas of open wetlands will form to benefit many of the reserve’s rare species including water voles, keeled skimmer dragonflies and tiny ‘bladderwort’ carnivorous plants.
“Little Sea is at the heart of the 3,400 ha Purbeck Heaths Super National Nature Reserve making it an ideal landscape for the beavers to spread so that people can learn to co-exist with the mammals again.”
Rob Waitt and Luke M Luke, founders of local community group Planet Purbeck say: "We’re still pinching ourselves - it’s really happening! What an honour for Purbeck to host England’s first licensed wild release.
“It’s such a positive story of revival and recovery rather than the doom, gloom and extinction we’re sadly more used to.”
Main image: National Trust/James Dobson
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