Beaver Trial babies!
The campaign to re-introduce beavers into the wild in Scotland took a huge leap forward recently, when the first beaver kits were spotted at the site in Knapdale Forest, Mid-Argyll.
“We now know that we have at least two new kits in Knapdale this year,” explains Simon Jones, Project Manager, but “as young beavers are so small, shy and look very similar to one another, there is a chance that there may be even more!”
According to the trial’s experts, beaver kits weigh about one pound at birth, so are now about the size of large guinea pigs. They are born with a full coat of fur, their eyes open and the ability to swim. Older kits within the family may help care for and defend the younger ones but when they reach about two years old, they will leave the group in search of their own territory – a key aim of the trial, along with creating new wetlands for biodiversity.
“One family has also had great success building a dam to access better food supplies,” adds Simon. |This has created a magnificent new area of wetland in which wildlife is now flourishing in.”
For more information about the Scottish Beaver Trial or to keep up-to-date with the latest news from the field on the ‘Beaver Blog’, visit www.scottishbeavers.org.uk.
