Beavers released into the wild to help ‘bring back nature’
How beavers are building a comeback across England
- Beavers have been legally reintroduced to two sites on the National Trust’s Holnicote Estate in Somerset, aiming to revitalise local river and wetland ecosystems.
- The reintroduction involved a family group of a mother and three offspring, alongside a separate pair of Eurasian beavers, marking the second licensed wild release by Natural England for the National Trust.
- Ben Eardley, project manager at the National Trust, highlighted beavers as extraordinary partners in nature restoration, creating habitats, buffering floods and droughts, and improving water quality.
- Beavers, which became extinct in Britain over 400 years ago, gained legal protection in 2022, with conservationists long advocating for their licensed return to the wider English countryside.
- Nature minister Mary Creagh praised the reintroduction, stating that these creatures are brilliant for biodiversity, reduce flood risk, and improve water quality, aligning with the government's mission to protect and restore nature.
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