02/08/2024
Did you know that wild Beavers are back in Devon, and more specifically, just down the lane from us!? They were first discovered living wild on the River Otter in 2008, and were proved to be successfully breeding. Following this discovery, they were set for removal by the UK Government. However, the Devon Wildlife Trust intervened and they were given licence to run a 5-year re-introduction project. It was England's first wild beaver re-introduction project, with beavers not in fenced enclosures but free to establish territories along the full length of the River Otter and its tributaries. Starting with two family groups, who were health screened and then re-released on the River Otter in March 2015, by the end of the five-year trial there were an estimated fifteen family groups throughout the catchment.
On 6 August 2020 the Devon Wildlife Trust successfully petitioned the UK Government to permit the Eurasian Beavers living wild on the River Otter, here in East Devon, to remain permanently, and expand their population into neighbouring catchments.
You can now even book in for an evening of Beaver Watching with Devon Wildlife Trust (see here: https://www.devonwildlifetrust.org/events).
We are so very lucky to have them on our doorstep!
https://youtu.be/jpUxC1xZW1M?feature=shared
As part of the River Otter Beaver Trial, DWT was licensed to add a small number of additional beavers into the established population in order to address th...
