Heal Somerset Celebrates First Confirmed Sighting of Baby Beaver Born Onsite
Heal Somerset, a registered charity dedicated to rewilding land in England, is excited to announce a major milestone in its journey: the first confirmed sighting of a baby beaver born onsite. The kit, captured on trail camera footage earlier this week, marks the first recorded evidence of successful wild beaver breeding at Heal Somerset’s site located between Frome and Bruton.
The team at Heal Somerset had been eagerly anticipating the birth of a baby beaver since last month when they observed a lactating female on the premises. In order to protect the potential site of the beaver burrow, an exclusion zone was established to minimize human disturbance. While the area remained undisturbed, a group of dedicated filming volunteers worked on placing trail cameras in carefully chosen locations along the riverbank.
After patiently waiting, the footage finally revealed the much-awaited moment: a baby beaver swimming alongside an adult, likely its mother. The adult beaver is seen gently nudging the kit through the water before the young beaver swims away independently. The adult then performs a classic beaver tail slap, an alert behavior indicating possible danger. The kit responds with its own tail slap and quickly dives underwater.
Beaver activity was first recorded at Heal Somerset in early 2024, with a pair confirmed by August of that year. In the months since, the beavers have been hard at work, constructing several new dams. The efforts, captured on trail cameras, showcase their remarkable persistence and engineering skill. These dams have created deeper pools that are now attracting a variety of wildlife, including ducklings and even otters.
These beavers have settled along a narrow, steep-sided tributary of the River Frome. Their dam-building is gradually widening the banks and slowing the water flow, natural processes that help reduce the risk of downstream flooding and contribute to healthier, more resilient ecosystems.
This achievement is a significant milestone in Heal’s mission to rewild nature-depleted land in England and create havens for biodiversity. Through the rebuilding of wildlife populations, community involvement, and storytelling, Heal aims to reconnect people with nature and help tackle the climate and ecological crises.
Jan Stannard, spokesperson for Heal Rewilding, said, “We are thrilled to witness the successful breeding of wild beavers at our Heal Somerset site. This is a powerful moment in our rewilding journey and a testament to our commitment to restoring and protecting natural habitats in England.”
Heal Rewilding is a registered charity that works to raise funds, buy land, and rewild it to aid nature recovery, climate action, and wellbeing. Its first rewilding site, Heal Somerset, was purchased in December 2022 and is open for free access to the public 50 weeks a year.
For further information, please contact Jan Stannard at jan@healrewilding.org.uk or 07710 171704. Visit Heal’s website at www.healrewilding.org.uk and Heal Somerset’s website at www.healsomerset.org.uk. A media pack can be found on Google Drive here.