PREVIEW

Beavers have been captured on camera on the famous Longleat estate in Wiltshire for the first time.
These images and video show beaver kits frolicking with their mum with the detail captured on camera for the first time at Longleat in Wiltshire.
Footage of the beavers, added to the European Protected Species List in 2022, shows them building dams, lodges and satellite lodges across the estate boosting biodiversity.
Conservation and Research Manager, Dr Tom Lewis, says the estate now has three breeding territories since the beavers arrived on the estate three years ago.
“Longleat is brimming with native wildlife, and beavers are one of the crown jewels. We assumed they have been breeding here, and we’ve seen lots of feeding activity. At first, our cameras picked up squirrels, herons, Canadian geese and even a fawn; but we then captured beavers repairing one of the lodges.
“We were really excited when we spotted a lactating female as we knew that meant there were kits and when we checked the cameras again and found her with kits, it was quite incredible and a very rare sight,” he said.
Beavers are ecosystem-engineers, says Tom, and in one territory what started as a small stream, now has several ponds including one which is 20m wide, all of which is created by the building of dams.
“Beavers build dams to raise the water level to make themselves feel safe. The system of ponds over different levels that this creates is impressive.”
Meanwhile the housing the beavers build is equally complex.
Says Tom: “There are multiple chambers in the big lodge, and we assumed that would be where the kits would be born but in fact it was in the satellite lodge and the adult beavers have been out in the daytime to bring food to mum and kits.
“We feel really fortunate to be able to share with everyone the intimate detail of what we have found using the cameras.
“I feel really privileged to be able to see this; it’s like stepping back in time to an ancient eco-system. It is so exciting every time we come here to see what they are working on and in three years they have made a massive difference, increasing the size of the wetland and increasing the biodiversity of the area.”
It is illegal to interfere with the lodges and dams created by beavers and Longleat is not sharing precise locations of the breeding territories to protect them.