Newborn beavers

We are so excited to share with you the news that we have spotted our first beaver kits to be born in the wild as part of the Scottish Beaver Trial!

Check out the exclusive images, (c) Steven Gardner, of one of our new additions.  To see more images at a larger size and without watermarks, please visit http://www.scottishbeavers.org.uk/. 

We've been hoping for this day for some time as we knew that two of our adult female beavers from different families were in peak condition. But, being elusive and largely nocturnal animals, it's often difficult to tell if wild beavers are pregnant, and newborn beavers can take a few months to emerge from the lodge.

After weeks of patient observation, we've finally been rewarded with not just one kit being spotted but a second kit from a different family group as well. We now know that we have at least two new kits in Knapdale this year and, as young beavers are so small, shy and look very similar to one another, there is a chance that there may be even more.

This is a fantastic step forward for our Trial as we can now begin to see how a small reintroduced population starts to naturally establish itself in the wild.

These beaver families are real Trial success stories, having settled in well and built their own lodges. One family has also had great success building a dam to access better food supplies. This has created a magnificent new area of wetland in which wildlife is now flourishing in.

We have no doubt that visitors to Knapdale will be keen to spot the new arrivals, but will also understand that this is a very sensitive time for these beaver families. By avoiding the loch edge for the next few weeks, you could help minimise any disturbance to these animals.

As always, we will be tracking our animals closely and hope to determine the exact number of kits produced this year as part of the Trial soon. This task will be made easier for us as the kits get older and more confident about emerging from the lodge and foraging for food on their own.


Many thanks for your interest and support.

The Scottish Beaver Trial team