Bever fever hits Purbeck
- Published:
- 11 March 2025
Two pairs of beavers have been released into the wild at Little Sea, Studland, under licence from the government. It was the first licence of its kind to be issued in England – all previous releases have been for releases into enclosures.
These beavers now join the beaver family that appeared in the lake in early 2024 (whether by natural dispersal or an illegal release), and our aim is now to establish a viable population.
The beavers, which had been translocated from Scotland by the Beaver Trust, were released at different parts on the lake. This was to ensure that the two pairs have plenty of space between them, and away from the territory of the existing wild beavers that arrived last year.
All the beavers will now be closely monitored to follow their movements, ensure their health and inform habitat impact monitoring.
Eco-engineers
The lake, surrounded by swamps and dense woodland, is an ideal habitat for these eco-engineers. As they fell trees and branches for food and to build their lodges, they will let light into the woodland which will attract butterflies, dragonflies, amphibians and birds. Read more about why beavers are so important for the environment.
Viewing the beavers
We ask everyone to give the newly released animals some space and time to settle in. Please keep to the paths as usual and avoid disturbing either the beavers or other wildlife, as we are now heading into bird-breeding season.
The Triangular Hide at Little Sea provides the best current beaver viewing opportunities so we would ask that you go there if you’d like to try to see a beaver. Guided walks and events will be planned for later in the year when longer daylight hours allow for easier viewing opportunities.
Further releases
Rules around the beaver breeding season now prevent any further beaver translocations taking place until September. We hope that other well-planned projects will also follow in our footsteps to release beavers in the right places, with the right steps in place to manage them, and where they can begin their much-needed work to restore natural processes in our waterways.
