Beavers released in Somerset to help bring back nature

Beavers were legally released at two sites on the National Trust's Holnicote Estate in Somerset, including a family group and a separate pair, marking the charity's second wild-release licence from Natural England.

Beavers have been legally reintroduced at two sites on the National Trust's Holnicote Estate on Exmoor in Somerset. The releases included a family group — a mother and her three offspring — and a separate pair of Eurasian beavers. Natural England granted the National Trust a licence for this wild release, the charity's second after an earlier reintroduction on the Purbeck Estate in Dorset in March. Beavers were first placed in enclosed parts of the Holnicote Estate in 2020 and were given legal protection in 2022. Key facts: - The recent releases took place at the National Trust's Holnicote Estate on Exmoor and involved a family group and a separate pair of beavers. - This is the National Trust's second licence for a wild release from Natural England, following an earlier release on the Purbeck Estate in March. - Beavers were declared extinct in Britain more than 400 years ago and have returned in recent years through escapes, illegal releases and managed introductions in fenced sites. - National Trust staff described beavers as able to create wetlands and ponds, build dams, slow water flow, reduce erosion and contribute to water quality. - Cornwall Wildlife Trust also released two pairs of beavers into the Par and Fowey river catchments on the preceding Monday. Summary: The reintroductions are part of a National Trust project to restore river and wetland habitats and to support biodiversity across Somerset. Project staff and officials say beavers can alter water flow, create wetland habitats and influence erosion and water quality. Undetermined at this time.