First baby beaver born on Exmoor in 400 years is filmed | UK News

Exmoor’s first baby beaver in centuries has been filmed.

The young beaver – known as the kit – was born about six weeks ago and was filmed swimming with his mother to the family lodge as she stopped to chew on a branch.

Two adult beavers were introduced to an enclosure on the Holnicote Estate in Somerset in January last year, the first introduced to National Trust land in 125 years.

The footage proves that they have reproduced successfully, although Jack Siviter, one of the holnicote estate’s rangers, said there had been clues.

He said: “We first got an idea that our pair of beavers had mated successfully when the male started to be much more active building and dragging wood and vegetation around the site at the late spring.

“The female also changed her usual habits, and stayed out of sight, leaving the male to work alone.

“It took several weeks before we noticed her, and that’s when our suspicions were confirmed that she had given birth, due to having very visible udders.”

The adult female beaver, named Grylls for exhibiting survival instincts that reminded rangers of adventurer Bear Grylls, was orphaned at a young age, Mr Siviter said.

“As a first-time mom, she seems to be thriving and it’s great to see her with her new kit.”

The family is expected to stay together for two years before the kit sets out to find their own territory. It will then be moved to another enclosure or wild release site if the regulations allow it.

Beavers are introduced throughout England to encourage nature and reduce flooding.

They restore wetlands by building dams and cutting down trees, slowing down, storing and filtering water, attracting other wildlife and reducing flooding downstream.

They are also found in the wild on the rivers of England and Scotland, having made a comeback after being hunted for …