Pair of beavers released in South Downs to help boost valley wildlife

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The beaver needed no encouragement. After a 500-mile road trip from the banks of a Scottish river to a hidden valley on the edge of England’s rolling South Downs, the sights and smells of a woodland pond were all it took.

“Beavers are nature’s water engineers – they can help bring back the natural processes missing from our environment. By building their dams, beavers create new and wildlife-rich wetlands; ponds, rivulets and boggy areas.” By thinning out trees, they also bring in more light, and with it more flora and fauna – birds, invertebrates, other mammals. “They’ll help us create a pyramid of life,” said David Elliott, the National Trust’s lead ranger for South Downs West. 

A few hours later, a second beaver – a female – followed the same path into the water. “We hope they will breed and a family group will manage the habitat for us,” said Elliott. 

Once settled, the beavers will build a lodge or burrow if they are not satisfied with the one provided and modify their surroundings to suit their needs, allowing them to move freely through the water and access food. They are herbivores and so will not be preying on fish or other animals.

This is the first release by the trust in south-east England, following the successful pilot at Holnicote on Exmoor in Somerset last year, where the beavers have thrived. Source

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Handsome beavers, what a gorgeous couple!  I hope they save their species and make Scotland great again

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Awwww they’re so cute