First baby beavers born in London for 400 years help create flourishing wetland
Video from the Beaver Trust
Baby beavers have been born in London for the first time in 400 years. Video released by conservation organisation the Beaver Trust shows the young beaver in a river with its parent.
A year ago, Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, helped release the herbivorous rodents at Paradise Fields in Ealing.
The project was supported by the Mayor’s Rewild London Fund, which aims to create new green spaces and encourage wildlife.
Conservationists hope the beavers will help turn the location into a flourishing wetland, making for an improved ecosystem in which plants and animals can thrive.
"The birth of the first baby beavers in urban London in over 400 years marks the latest milestone for this groundbreaking community project," the Beaver Trust said.
"The family have already improved the water quality, biodiversity, and hydrology at the site, and by having kits they continue to prove that beavers can truly thrive alongside people in urban environments.
"A huge congratulations to all the partners, community groups, and volunteers who have made this possible," the trust added.
Beavers were hunted to extinction in England around 400 years ago but thanks to reintroduction efforts their colonies can now be found in Kent, Cornwall, Devon, Derbyshire and Oxfordshire.The presence of beavers can be beneficial to other species, with their behaviour – dam building, canal digging and creating deadwood – helping create habitats for birds, amphibians, fish and others.The Mayor’s Rewild London Fund has provided £2.3 million to projects across the city, creating or restoring around 350 hectares of wildlife habitat.
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