Steve the Great Escape beaver finally finds love and starts a family with mate, Doris

After being rehomed to an enclosure on a nature-friendly farm in mid-Wales, Steve has welcomed his first kit with mate, Doris.

Steve the beaver was originally released at Wallington on 12 July 2023 as part of a family of four Eurasian beavers relocated from the River Tay in Scotland. The family settled into a 24-hectare fenced enclosure on a tributary of the River Wansbeck, immediately beginning to transform the landscape. 

After several severe storms in the first year of their release, the enclosure fencing suffered some damage, and the oldest male kit developed a reputation for making repeated bids for freedom. His determination to escape the enclosure earned him the nickname ‘Steve McQueen’, after the star of the classic film The Great Escape. It became increasingly clear that his repeated escape attempts may have been driven by a natural instinct to find a mate. After being recaptured for the third time in December 2024, efforts began to find him a suitable new home.

In April 2025, Steve was relocated to an enclosure at Cefn Garthenor, a nature-friendly farm in mid-Wales, where he was matched with a compatible female, Doris. The pair seemed to be getting along swimmingly, and the farm eagerly awaited signs that Doris might be pregnant. After months of anticipation, the team has confirmed that the two have welcomed their first ever kit, probably born around late May.

Alistair Hughes from Cefn Garthenor farm said: “We’re so excited to have our first kit just a year after we introduced Steve and Doris. It was a blind date, so we’re glad it all worked out. Plus, Doris seems to be keeping Steve way too busy for him to have time or energy for an escape!”

The National Trust’s Wallington estate in Northumberland has also confirmed the arrival of at least two new beaver kits in 2026, marking the third consecutive year of successful breeding since their release. These new beaver kits are the siblings of Steve.

Ranger Emily Johnson said: “A third successful breeding season at Wallington is a great sign that the beavers are healthy and happy. With the family growing every year, we are carefully monitoring the behaviour of each of the beavers. Ideally each kit stays with the mother for around 2 years, after which they might start to try and find their own territory. If we decide we need to remove any more of the older offspring, we will work with the Beaver Trust to find them a suitable new home.”

Over the past 3 years, the beaver family at Wallington have had a huge impact on their environment. Their dam-building has created a dynamic mosaic of ponds, channels, and wet woodland that supports a growing diversity of wildlife. The team at Wallington have recorded a boom in dragonflies and damselflies, a record amount of frogspawn and toad spawn and other species enjoying the improved habitat including otters, kingfishers and Daubenton’s bats.

Beavers were once a key species in British rivers but became extinct in the 16th century due to being hunted for their fur, meat and scent glands. In recent years, they have been reintroduced at a growing number of sites in Britain. As well as creating habitats for other key species, beavers can lessen the effects of climate change and extreme weather. Their dams slow the speed of the water flow, reducing flood risk and creating pools that hold water in the landscape during times of drought.

The beaver reintroduction at Wallington is part of a wider landscape-scale nature recovery project across the 20 square mile estate, ‘Wilder Wallington’. The project aims to work with agricultural tenants to create woodlands and hedgerows, restore wetland habitats and champion nature-friendly farming. This includes creating thriving habitats for key species like red squirrels, pine martens and native white-clawed crayfish. Find out more about the Wilder Wallington project: Wilder Wallington for people and nature | National Trust.