First baby beaver born on Exmoor for 400 years named Rashford

• Watch baby beaver swimming with its mother

Thousands of people have voted to name the first beaver born in 400 years on Exmoor after a famous England football star.

The baby beaver – known as a kit – was born on the National Trust’s Holnicote Estate recently.

The conservation charity opened up the vote to name the beaver as part of England’s Euros football celebrations.

After thousands took to social media to vote, the beaver was named Rashford after football hero Marcus Rashford.

The name received just shy of half of all the votes, ahead of Banksy, which came in second place and was chosen due to where the beavers make their home. 

Footage from a static camera has captured the kit swimming with its mother, back to the family lodge, while she stopped to nibble a branch.

Project manager for the National Trust on the Holnicote Estate Ben Eardley said: "We've been overwhelmed with the interest in the latest addition to our beaver family.

“It’s fantastic that so many people are just as excited as we are that our project to reintroduce beavers to this special landscape has been such a success.

“Rashford is a brilliant choice for this new addition to the family – and remind people of a moment in this country’s footballing history after an amazing tournament for the England team. The kit, the first to be born on Exmoor in 400 years, gives us hope for future generations.”

With a play on words, social media users enjoyed the many puns with some commenting if Rashford did come out on top that surely the kit would end up being referred to as ‘Gnash’ford.