Two Wild Beaver Kits Born in Norfolk After Centuries Away

Camera-trap footage at Pensthorpe Nature Reserve has revealed two young beavers living with their parents beside the River Wensum, in what is believed to be the first recorded wild beaver birth in Norfolk for more than five centuries. The kits, thought to be about three months old, are descended from two adult beavers that appeared at the reserve near Fakenham in December. The adults built a lodge and became the first wild beavers recorded in Norfolk since the native population was hunted to extinction in England at the beginning of the 16th century. Their arrival remains unexplained. Richard Spowage, the reserve’s manager, said the footage first showed one kit moving around with a parent before a second youngster appeared. The kits have been seen eating willow and water mint, learning to dive, and copying adults by striking the water with their tails when responding to a perceived threat. One was also filmed reacting sharply after apparently encountering a nettle. The animals occupy a concealed, inaccessible part of the reserve. So far, their effect on the landscape has been limited: they have thinned some woodland and dug small channels beside the river, but have not built dams. According to the reserve, those channels have already been used by birds, foxes, otters and roe deer, while the reduced tree cover has allowed more light to reach the fen habitat. The new arrivals also create a conservation challenge. With no other known wild beavers nearby, the kits and their parents would have limited breeding options within the river system. The nearest wild population is thought to be more than 130 miles away on the River Stour in Kent. Some people suspect the original pair may have been illegally released, a practice sometimes called “beaver bombing,” although Pensthorpe does not support such releases. The reserve is crowdfunding an application to Natural England for permission to introduce additional beavers legally into the Wensum. The proposed work would require river studies, staff training and consultation with other stakeholders. Natural England said it was working with Pensthorpe, the Beaver Trust and others on the animals’ welfare and a plan of action.