AN adult pair of Eurasian beavers has been released in the Holnicote Estate to help with flood management and to improve biodiversity on Exmoor. 

Having once been an important part of the natural environment, beavers became extinct on mainland Britain in the 16th century due to hunting for their fur, meat and scent glands.

Currently, beavers are only present in a handful of sites across the country. As nature’s engineers, they are a natural solution to help tackle climate change.

The beaver release on January 30 is the first to be made by the conservation charity, the National Trust, as part of its ambition to create priority habitats for nature and to increase the diversity of species and wildlife numbers on the land in its care. 

The two beavers – a male and a female – are now in a 2.7 hectare fenced area of unmanaged woodland on the estate. They have been relocated from wild populations on the River Tay catchment in Scotland, under licence from Scottish Natural Heritage.

Ben Eardley, project manager for the National Trust at Holnicote, said: “As ecosystem engineers, the beavers will develop wetland habitat, increasing the variety and richness of wildlife in the local landscape. 

“Their presence in our river catchments is a sustainable way to help make our landscape more resilient to climate change and the extremes of weather it will bring.

“The dams the beavers create will slow the flow, holding water in dry periods which will reduce the impact of drought. They will help to lessen flash-flooding downstream, reducing erosion and improving water quality by holding  silt and pollutants.”

Once settled the beavers will build a lodge or burrow and then begin to modify the enclosure to suit their needs, allowing them to move around freely through the water and access food.