Birth of two beaver kits in West Dorset is an 'extremely positive sign' for species

  • Watch as a new beaver kit feeds on some willow.

Beavers have been born in West Dorset for the second year running as part of a conservation project to bring them back to the area.

An adult male and female were introduced to the enclosed four-hectare site in February 2021, then a beaver was born in Dorset for the first time in more than 400 years in July 2022.

Two new kits have been recorded so far, bringing the family total to seven animals - two adults and five kits.

Dorset Wildlife Trust says this is an "extremely positive sign" that the species are continuing to thrive.

Beavers make changes to their habitats, such as digging canal systems, damming water courses, and coppicing tree and shrub species, which create diverse wetlands that benefit both people and wildlife. 

A second generation beaver kit in the water. Credit: Steve Oliver/ Dorset Wildlife Trust
The adult male beaver and one of the new kits on trail camera. Credit: Dorset Wildlife Trust

The kits, born in springtime, spent their first month within the safety of the lodge, an underground chamber and burrow system, before emerging between dusk and dawn in early summer to explore the wetlands with their family.

Rivers Conservation Officer, Steve Oliver said: "This discovery is such exciting news. Breeding is a clear indication that the beavers we introduced to site are healthy and happy in their Dorset home.

"The adult pair originally released back in February 2021 settled in from the word go, building dams and modifying the existing freshwater habitat to suit their needs.

"The building of a lodge and now the subsequent raising of two sets of kits is really encouraging.

"Beavers are a keystone species and the complex biodiverse wetlands they create by doing what comes naturally to them, can benefit many other forms of wildlife."