Wild beavers seen in England for first time in centuries
Footage of a family of beavers filmed in a Devon river is believed to be the first sighting of its kind in up to 500 years
by Jessica Aldred
Two beavers were caught on camera playing at night while a third one (in background) is gnawing a tree on the banks of the River Otter, Devon. Tom Buckley got the footage with a hidden infrared motion sensor camera. Photograph: Tom Buckley/Apex
A family of wild beavers has been seen in the England countryside in what is believed to be the first sighting of its kind in up to 500 years.
Three European beavers (Castor fiber), believed to be adults, have been filmed together on the River Otter in east Devon and can be seen gnawing at the base of trees, grooming themselves and playing together.
Experts said the sighting was “highly significant” as it strongly suggested a small breeding population of beavers now existed outside captivity.
European beavers were once widespread in the UK but were hunted to extinction by the 16th century in England and Wales for their fur, medicinal value and meat.