Two pairs of beavers were released into the wild at Little Sea, Studland, in March 2025, under licence from the government. It was the first licence of its kind to be issued in England – all the previous ones have been for beavers in enclosures.
These animals joined 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. (See project updates below.)
Why restore beavers to Purbeck?
Previously beavers were an important part of the natural ecosystem but became extinct across the UK in the 16th century due to hunting for their fur, meat and scent glands. Restoring lost species to our landscapes is an important part of our work to reverse the declines in nature.
Beaver activity can increase biodiversity by providing habitats for a wide range of species including fish, amphibians, mammals, water-loving plants and insects.
The habitat beavers need
Beavers need areas of deep, still or slow flowing fresh water to feel safe. AlthoughLittle Sea originated as a landlocked body of seawater, it has been replenished by fresh water draining off the heathland and is now classed as fresh water. Surrounded by dense woodland, it is thought to be a highly suitable habitat for beavers.
How beavers will benefit Little Sea and beyond
Beavers create their own wetlands and bring wildlife back to the landscape as they do so. There is evidence that a range of species (aquatic plants, amphibians, aquatic invertebrates) hugely benefit when beavers are present in a landscape.
Little Sea is surrounded by a dense wet woodland of willow. As the beavers fell trees, they will create glades and open patches. This allows light to penetrate the canopy, attracting myriad wildlife such as dragonflies, bees, butterflies, birds and wildflowers. The beaver activity doesn't kill the trees - as with traditional coppicing, the trees soon sprout new shoots, creating a much more dynamic woodland with trees of all ages.
If the beaver introductions at Little Sea are successful, the aim is that they will eventually spread onto the Purbeck Heaths. They will create beaver wetlands that help retain and purify water resources and slow the flow in our rivers, reducing the risk of flooding and drought. These wetlands are also one of the best ways to capture carbon.
A carefully managed approach
Across the UK beavers are gradually being brought back into the countryside as part of a managed approach. Beavers have been successfully reintroduced into enclosures at several National Trust sites in recent years, including Holnicote in Somerset where several kits have been born.
We are part of the Dorset Beaver Management Group which consists of trained people who can provide expert advice, information and support, particularly to communities and landowners who are living alongside beavers. You can find out more here: www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/dorset-beaver-management-group
Here are some images of the new beaver wetland near Little Sea. It has been created by one of the two pairs of beavers that we introduced in March 2025.
The ecological impacts of their activity are already becoming clear. They have built an impressive 35‑metre-long dam which has slowed the flow of a small stream, creating a deep and extensive pond. Their coppicing of trees has opened up the canopy, allowing light to flood in and creating ideal habitat for plants, insects, amphibians, birds and bats. The trail cameras have already picked up an otter fishing in the pond, as well as a barn owl hunting there, and volunteers have spotted birds like redpoll and water rail.
Gen Crisford, our Wetlands Project Officer, said:
“The effect on the eco-system is astonishing. From dense tangled woodland, the beavers have created a light and airy wetland teeming with life above and below the water. We can’t wait to see what wildlife appears this spring and summer – from dragonflies, diving beetles and butterflies to frogs and newts – and of course, all the animals that feed off them.
“It's important to remember that the trees the beavers fell don’t die – they quickly sprout new shoots. In fact, regular coppicing like this is essential for keeping the woodland healthy. Not only have the beavers breathed new life into the landscape, but there are also indications that by slowing the flow of the stream, they are helping prevent the nearby road from flooding in heavy rain.”
Beavers’ instinctive dam-building plays an important role in climate resilience. By slowing water flow and creating wetlands, beavers help retain water during both floods and droughts, benefiting nature and local communities. Their natural dams also filter out sediment, improving water quality downstream.
It looks like we could be welcoming more baby beavers (kits) to Studland this summer.
It’s incredibly rare to see beavers mating, but our trail camera captured this special moment in late January. This is one of the beaver pairs we released into the wild at Little Sea last year (the same female which took a trip to Swanage before settling back down in Studland!). It is a clear sign they’ve now settled into their new home.
This is their first breeding season here, and if all goes well, the kits will be born in June. Beavers can have up to four kits in a litter.
Our monitoring programme, using dedicated volunteers and trail cameras, keeps us informed about the wellbeing of the beavers.
Our observations and trail camera footage show that one of the beaver families now occupy two lodges and move between them. This isn’t unusual behaviour for beavers, but we can’t help thinking they are being a little greedy in claiming the whole lake for themselves!
This family, of two adults and three kits, can regularly be seen at locations near the south of the lake (sometimes from the Rees Cox hide), and the north of the lake (from the Triangular hide).
A new winter wonderland
Some wetland restoration work was scheduled to take place this autumn, including damming and infilling ditches. But this had to be postponed when we discovered a tree that had been gnawed by a beaver – trail cameras soon confirmed that a pair of beavers was already at work there! They have turned a small stream into an open wetland, which will provide great habitat for other water loving species, including invertebrates, small mammals, bats and birds.
One of the beavers was quickly identified as the female who previously swam to Swanage and spent some time in the Studland Water Treatment Works, so we didn’t want to move her on again. We have left them to it and will see what ideas they have for the ditch instead.
Missing beaver
We have searched for signs of the female beaver which lost her partner in 2025. New sporadic feeding signs have been discovered around the original release site, where water levels dropped in the summer months. There is a chance that this could be her, or it could be the other Little Sea beavers exploring the area. Hopefully we’ll be able to confirm when the lighter evenings make observations easier. Until we have more conclusive evidence, we won’t be releasing a new male to join her.
Feeding signs
In the areas where beavers are active, they’ve been primarily feeding on willow and birch trees. Since last summer, we started to see the first signs of feeding on an oak tree by the Rees Cox hide near Knoll Beach (pictured above). This has now been felled and provides a great opportunity for visitors to see the beaver teeth marks in the trunk.
Flood prevention
We had noted that the beavers were passing under Ferry Road using four culverts which are designed to let water pass under the road and so prevent flooding. To avoid the beavers damming these culverts, we have installed grilles that allow the beavers to pass through but not when they are carrying sticks.
Sharing beaver expertise
Almost 50 people, including staff from local organisations, volunteers and residents, attended beaver management training recently. They learnt about the impacts of beaver activity and how to apply the protected species guidance to their management. This will enable them to help to advise other landowners who are affected by beavers.
Volunteering for beavers
We have recently expanded our hard-working beaver monitoring volunteer group with three new members. Our volunteers trawl through hours and hours of beaver footage to keep track of their activities, put out and collect cameras from boggy wetlands, and go out looking for feeding signs. We are keeping this group small while we learn but we will need to add more people over the coming months. If you are interested in joining us, please get in touch.
Next steps
We are unlikely to release more beaver pairs at Little Sea due to the drought impacts we saw last summer. Although an extreme drought event, with climate change it may become a more regular occurrence. But we might release individual animals to pair up with the kits of our existing population – the first of these kits will reach maturity next summer.
We are preparing for the moment when we can release more beaver pairs across other suitable areas in the Purbeck Heaths National Nature Reserve. This will allow us to increase the genetic diversity of the Purbeck population. We are hoping to do this in autumn 2026.
It’s five months since the National Trust released two pairs of beavers into Little Sea, Studland. As the first ‘wild’ release of these eco-system engineers, the project gained huge interest in the media and among conservation organisations, and captured the hearts and minds of people locally and nationally.
Extensive research had gone into the suitability of Little Sea as a habitat for beavers. But it’s impossible to exactly predict how wild animals will behave in any reintroduction project. So, we’ve been closely monitoring their activity via remote motion-sensor cameras, observations by staff and volunteers, and studying trail signs such as teeth marks, felled trees or lodge/dam building.
It is still early days, but here is an update on what has happened so far.
Busy beaver lodge
In early 2024, two beavers appeared in Little Sea, before we had gained a licence for a wild release. As beavers are a protected species, our priority was to ensure their welfare. Since then, they have been thriving. They built an extensive lodge and reared one kit in 2024. We completed a health check on the adults in early 2025 before releasing any more beavers to the area. This family has since produced two more kits. Young beavers stay with their parents for up to two years before exploring to find a new territory.
This has been really encouraging, showing that Little Sea is a very suitable habitat for beavers.
‘Tails’ of the unexpected
The two beavers that we released in March on the west side of the lake have proved rather unpredictable. There were sporadic sightings of individual beavers, then we had the most unexpected news – that a beaver had been spotted in Swanage.
This was quickly confirmed, and the decision was made to trap it and bring it back to Little Sea. We wouldn’t usually intervene when a beaver relocates itself, but in this case, we moved it for welfare reasons. It was spotted in a popular dog-walking area, and there was no deep water for the beaver to hide in, making it very vulnerable.
We worked with support from the Beaver Trust to capture the animal, and the microchip revealed it was the female from this pair. She was reunited with her mate, but then they temporarily made their home in the nearby water treatment works, where deep lagoons offered easy swimming and plenty of feeding opportunities. We worked closely with Wessex Water to fence the beavers out as it wasn't practical for them to be there. A new lodge has now appeared at the south of Little Sea which we hope belongs to this pair - as it would mean they are likely to start a family next year.
At times, these beavers have been seen crossing Ferry Road, close to the entrance to Knoll Beach. So, we’re asking drivers to be aware, especially when driving at dusk or night-time.
A sad outcome
The pair that were released on the eastern side of the lake initially settled in the marshes downstream of Little Sea. But with the long dry spring and early summer, water levels fell, and the beavers moved elsewhere. Whilst we were trying to find where they had gone to, we had the sad news that the body of a beaver had been washed up in Swanage Bay.
We recovered the body, and the microchip revealed that it was the male from this pair. Until a post-mortem is carried out, we won’t know the cause of death, but initial signs do indicate salt-water poisoning. Beavers don't usually live in salt water, but they can spend short periods of time in the sea to explore the area or for migration purposes. Longer periods of salt-water ingestion can be fatal. For this reason, if anyone ever spots a beaver in the sea, we’d ask them to let us know.
Whilst this is really upsetting, it does highlight that beavers are wild animals and there are always risks with reintroduction projects.
We are now trying to locate the female from this pair. We have seen signs of feeding in the initial release area but it may take some time to confirm whether this is her. There is no reason why she can’t live at Little Sea as a solitary individual until she finds a new mate.
Implications for the future
The loss of one of the beavers doesn’t affect the long-term aims of the project to introduce more animals and establish a healthy, viable population of beavers in Purbeck. However, it may affect exactly where and when we introduce new animals. We want to ensure that the current pairs are well-settled with established territories before adding more beavers to Little Sea. We will then consider which ages and sexes may be most beneficial to the future population.
We will continue working with other partners and beaver experts as we decide on next steps.
Eco-engineering in action
So far, our beavers have been active, selectively felling trees in the wet woodlands around Little Sea. This actually brings huge ecological benefits, slowly opening up some of the closed, dark areas, creating more space and light for plants, insects, amphibians and other wildlife to thrive. The trees don’t die, but soon sprout new shoots – in fact, regular coppicing like this is important to keep the woods healthy.
People pulling together
We have set up a steering group for the project which involves about 20 people, including farmers and neighbouring landowners, local communities and statutory bodies, as well as beaver experts from several organisations. This constructive involvement of a wide range of interests is one of the reasons we can be confident that we will make beaver reintroductions work for everybody in Purbeck.
Our growing group of volunteers have been invaluable, learning to identify which beaver is which, tracking their movements and managing our network of cameras every night to see what the beavers are up to. They have also tirelessly waded through countless hours of footage (and actual swamps!) to help us to keep up to date with the beavers’ latest activities. We couldn’t do this without them.
Where to watch the beavers
Sightings of the beavers are currently possible from all three bird hides at Little Sea (Triangular, Rees Cox and Grebe), the best place probably being the Triangular Hide off Ferry Road. Remember that beavers are largely nocturnal, but you might spot them at dusk or dawn. You’ll need to be quiet – and patient!
We will continue to keep local residents informed and involved with the reintroduction of beavers to Little Sea. It may not always be easy, especially when there is sad news, but we will issue regular project updates.
We are thrilled to report that on 5 March, two pairs of adult beavers were released into the wet woodland that surrounds Little Sea. They were released in pairs because beavers are monogamous and usually pair up before settling down in a particular location. The beavers were translocated from Scotland by the Beaver Trust.
The releases took place at different parts on the lake 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.
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.
A protected species
As of October 2022, Eurasian beavers became recognised as a resident native species in England and became a European Protected Species, under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017. This means it is an offence to deliberately capture, injure, kill or disturb beavers, or damage and destroy their breeding sites or resting places.
There was huge excitement when we heard the news that the government has issued a licence for the National Trust in Purbeck to release beavers into the wild, not into enclosures as in previous releases in England. This will be the first time such a licence has been issued in England.
The first releases will take place very soon at Little Sea, Studland – keep watching for further updates. We have worked towards this moment for some seven years, so the project team is understandably thrilled.
Gen Crisford, our Purbeck Beaver Project Officer, said:
“We are delighted to have this opportunity to release wild beavers into the Purbeck landscape. We have been working closely with Natural England and local partners for the past seven years to licence this first wild release. There is a lot of excitement within our community about this, so it is fantastic to be able to go ahead – which we’ll do in the very near future.
“We would like to thank everyone for any part they have played in getting this project this far – whether you have supported or informed the planning of the project. We will continue to work with everybody to ensure that this is a positive experience for everyone while we learn to coexist with wild beavers in our countryside."
David Brown, the Trust’s Land and Nature Programme Manager, added:
“Little Sea is a highly suitable habitat for beavers and its location at the heart of the 3340 ha Purbeck Heaths National Nature Reserve (NNR) makes it the perfect place for a wild release. This historic moment is the culmination of decades of work by landowners in Purbeck to make our landscape better for nature.
“Together with the Wild Purbeck partnership which includes Natural England, the Dorset National Landscape team, other conservation NGOs, local landowners and farmers, the Trust has co-created a detailed management plan to ensure that as these fascinating mammals recolonise Purbeck, the whole community can see the benefits and that we avoid or manage any potential negative impacts.
“Having a thriving population of beavers at Little Sea will undoubtedly support the Purbeck Heaths NNR and can only be a good thing for building further resilience into the landscape to benefit this special habitat and its wildlife.”
The government’s new policy statement includes the detail of a new licensing system, support for landowners and farmers, and a commitment to produce plans for the long-term management of beavers in England.
It's been over a year since the two beavers arrived unexpectedly at Little Sea. We were required by Natural England to carry out health checks, so earlier this month, the two adult beavers were trapped. Inspections were then carried out by a qualified veterinarian, supported by personnel from the Beaver Trust and the National Trust.
The animals were sexed and assessed to be in good physical condition, based on their weight and the condition of their fur. Numerous samples were taken to be analysed in the lab, so we’ll keep you informed of any other findings.
Due to the spread of beavers across the county, the Dorset Beaver Management Group has been set up. This is a group of trained and licenced beaver managers, which is working closely with other organisations in South-West England where beavers are recolonising.
Our remit is support communities – whether landowners, farmers or residents – while we all learn to live alongside beavers once more. The group means we can have a coordinated approach to providing information and guidance, and helping when people have concerns.
As well as the National Trust, the Beaver Management Group includes specialists from Dorset Wildlife Trust, Natural England, the Environment Agency, National Farmers Union, the Beaver Trust, Dorset and BCP Councils, the Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group South West, the Wild Trout Trust, the Forestry Commission, Wessex Water and South West Water.
It is still our aim to gain a government licence for a legal unenclosed release of additional beavers into Little Sea, which would help build a viable population. The long-term vision is that beavers will gradually colonise the waterways across the Purbeck Heaths National Nature Reserve.
July 2024
Beavers settle in
Over spring and summer, we have been monitoring the beavers using trail cameras and thermal imagery, as well as skilled volunteers who have observed the site closely from dusk to darkness. It took a while to establish that there was definitely a pair of beavers because they often move around independently.
We then watched as they set about gathering sticks and mud to build a lodge. This is where they sleep during the day and raise their family. In July, there was much excitement when we saw that they had had their first baby, called a kit. Beavers are monogamous, so this will now be a family unit until the kit is around two years old, when it will establish its own territory.
A key priority for us is to safeguard the beavers. We have put signage around the lake to make people aware of the new residents, and how to avoid harming them – as well as protecting any inquisitive dogs.
The signs ask visitors to:
Keep dogs on leads and don't let them swim in the water. Beavers aren’t naturally aggressive but will defend themselves if they feel threatened, especially if there are kits.
Be quiet by the waterside. Beavers have good hearing and will hide if scared.
Watch from a distance, preferably using binoculars.
Avoid using lights to search for the beavers at night as this can distress them.
Little Sea provides a home to lots of vulnerable wildlife, not just beavers, so no swimming or watercraft are allowed.
We’d like to thank everyone for giving the beavers space and time to settle into their new home.
April 2024
Monitoring and managing the new arrivals
Since the discovery of beavers at Little Sea in January, we have been working to implement monitoring protocols and to incorporate these animals into our long-term plans.
Monitoring: Our first priority was to find out more about the beavers that had appeared and ensure their well-being. As they are nocturnal, we have used trail cameras and thermal imagery to establish that there is likely to be two beavers. By looking at the evidence of their feeding activity, we have been able to roughly map out their territory.
Management: Beavers are a native species so there is no requirement for us to remove them from Little Sea, and it is also against the law to deliberately injure, kill, capture or disturb beavers. We are liaising with partner organisations and stakeholders on the management of the site now beavers are present. We will also be making local residents and walkers aware of the situation.
Future beaver releases: We are still keen to gain a licence for an unenclosed or ‘wild’ release of beavers at Little Sea as we had originally planned to release three pairs to ensure a viable breeding population. We continue to work with Natural England and Defra on a licence application for a wild release.
January 2024
Beavers unexpectedly arrive at Little Sea
In early January, we received a report of beaver activity at Little Sea. We investigated and found evidence to confirm this, with clear feeding signs on several birch trees along the lake shore. Although this is a site identified for a future, planned and licensed National Trust beaver release, we had not yet received authorisation or progressed our plans to bring beavers to Purbeck, so this news came as a surprise to us.
We don’t know how the beavers got to Little Sea – they are already colonising waterways across Dorset so they could have got there by natural dispersal, or it could have been an unauthorised release. We are currently working as a priority to understand how many animals there are, and to establish what condition they are in, and working with Natural England to agree immediate next steps.
With Studland already identified as a good site for a planned release, we have been preparing an action plan which we had hoped to roll out to manage beavers and their possible impacts, as and when we received a licence. We are now reviewing this, with a view to putting these plans in place.
We are asking people to refrain from looking for the beavers at present due to the risk of disturbing them. As soon as we can establish more information, we will work out how we can safely enable others to experience the beavers at Studland. It is possible that this might be virtual access initially while we allow them to properly settle in.
October 2022
Native species with protected status
The status of the Eurasian Beaver, as a native animal (in England) was updated from 1 October. Whilst Eurasian beavers are a native species, they have been removed from this list as they 'ceased to be ordinarily resident in Britain.' With this change they are officially making a comeback. Eurasian beaver have also been awarded a protected status, under 'Schedule 2 of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulation Act 2017'. This will make it an offence to deliberately capture, kill or injure beavers, or damage their homes without a licence.
This month, DEFRA and Natural England have also published guidance on best practice management and licensing to support their protection. This guidance sets out how beavers are protected and a five-step approach to managing beaver activities. More information can be found here. It also lays out situations when a licence is, or is not, needed to manage beaver activities and outlines the type of licences that will be available.
Natural England have produced an explainer blog post - here.
Here in Purbeck this information will be presented and disseminated with a local focus in the coming months. We will also continue to work collaboratively with the NFU and our project stakeholders to provide support where we can.
Next steps
The current information and government support is initially aimed at areas where wild beavers are already found. Natural England are continuing to undertake further work with DEFRA and stakeholders to develop a national approach to wild reintroductions in England. Further information on this, including the criteria for wild releases will be published in due course. This will dictate what is needed to go ahead with a licence application and should generally lay out the responsibility of a reintroduction project alongside that of landowners and governement agencies. We will also continue to work with Natural England on any specific steps needed for a project licence for Purbeck.
Impact assessments have been carried out across the landscape including ecological features, historical features, infrastructure and potentially vulnerable sites. Management plans have been created with the support of national beaver experts, a monitoring programme has been designed and risk assessments have been produced. A final report has been produced to summarise the preparatory work undertaken so far. This will be submitted to DEFRA alongside the licence application - when this becomes a possiibility.
A recently published report from Natural England captures lessons from the River Otter Beaver Trial and River Tamar Catchment, which will be relevant to any project looking into starting up community steering groups to manage wild beavers. Natural England report
December 2021
Extreme E
The Purbeck Beaver Project has been given an opportunity to acquire some funding towards the project from a private sector sponsor, Extreme E. Extreme E is an off-road electric vehicle racing series, which is raising awareness for climate change issues and the performance and benefits of low carbon vehicles. The final round of the championship has been relocated to the MoD heaths at Bovington due to Covid travel restrictions, and they have chosen us as their local legacy project. https://www.extreme-e.com/en/news/434_Jurassic-X-Prix-Legacy-Programme-revealed
The money they donate will be ring-fenced until we get beavers, and used to help ongoing support for local farmers, including the mitigation and site protection works that our stakeholder consultation has identified as necessary. All parties involved are aware that we require a licence before we can proceed.
We are putting on an event for the drivers and sponsors of Extreme E in December. Media and TV coverage will help us to spread awareness of the issues surrounding climate in the UK and how beavers can help.
August 2021
National guidance and licences
A public consultation into the future of beaver releases and the management of the species in the wild in England was launched. Landmark consultation document. This set out and provided the opportunity to feed back on a proposed approach to beaver management. Project stakeholders have been encouraged to submit organisational and independent responses. Information compiled from our stakeholder engagement work over the past 2 years has also been submitted on behalf of the project. This has given us a good idea of the local management needs and the government support that will be needed to make a beaver reintroduction work well in Purbeck. We recognise the need to support farmers and landowners and to manage impacts where required.
The consultation will close on 17 November 2021. During the time, we will continue to work with our project partners to ensure that any releavant information and support is available.
If you would like to understand any of the issues that local people here have raised before responding to the consultation, please do get in touch.
January 2021
A phased approach
Choosing Little Sea
The first site chosen is Little Sea in Studland. This is a highly suitable fresh water habitat, surrounded by sea and dry heath which will help to contain the beavers. The sea and dry heathland are inhospitable to beavers which will naturally encourage them to remain within the National Nature Reserve area at Little Sea.
A unfenced release site first
If the Little Sea release is approved by the Department of the Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), it could be the UK’s first licence for an unfenced release of beavers into the wild.
Forward planning for a second phase
If the reintroduction is successful, we would consider carrying out a second phase. Phase two would involve working with neighbouring landowners to return beavers across the Purbeck Heaths National Nature Reserve, with all the benefits to water quality and biodiversity that would bring.
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