Baby beaver named after England goalie Mary Earps in Somerset
Watch footage from the National Trust of the beavers here
A baby beaver in Somerset has been named after goalkeeper Mary Earps in honour of England reaching the World Cup final.
The kit was born at the National Trust’s Holnicote Estate, near Exmoor, and joins siblings Russo, Toone and Rashford.
Earps is the sixth member of the family born at an enclosure known as Paddocks, with twins – named Moss and Fern – born at a second enclosure nearby.
Members of the public were invited to help name the three kits, with the final decision made by the ranger team on the estate.
Jack Siviter, National Trust ranger at Holnicote said: “We decided to continue with the sporting theme for the Paddocks family due to the success of the women’s football team in reaching the World Cup final, and at our second site liked the nature themes coming through as a fitting tribute to the flora and fauna that the beaver live and work amongst.
"We are particularly pleased for first time parents, Lily and Bulrush, and it’s great to see their new kits thriving.
“Over the next few months, we’ll be able to track the development of the youngsters and how they start to help us with our conservation work, in particular building more resilience into our landscapes to help mitigate the consequences of extreme weather.”
Mary Earps was born and raised in West Bridgford, Nottingham.
At grassroots level, she played for West Bridgford Colts. From 2012 until 2016, Earps studied at Loughborough University where she earned a degree in Management and Business.
Last year, she was part of the Lionesses' team to win the UEFA Women's Euro 2022.
When she is not playing for England, Earps plays for Manchester United in the Women's Super League.
She was selected for the England squad in 2017 and made her first appearance in Switzerland.
Earps was third choice keeper at the last World Cup in 2019 but has worked hard, improved and established herself as No1.
Before playing for Manchester United, Earps spent time playing for Nottingham Forest, Bristol City, Doncaster Rovers Belles, Reading and German giants Wolfsburg.