Beaver reintroduction at Wallington

The beaver release at Wallington was the first re-introduction by the National Trust in the North of England and the third overall, following releases at Holnicote in Devon and on the edge of the South Downs.

Having once been an important part of the ecosystem, beavers became extinct in Britain in the 16th century because of hunting for their fur, meat and scent glands. The family of beavers brought to Wallington from a population in Scotland, were released into the 24-hectare enclosure with the hope that would have a significant impact on the habitat within, creating a dynamic wetland ecosystem. This introduction supported the National Trust’s strategy to restore a healthier natural environment and to improve 25,000 hectares (an area the size of 47,000 football pitches) of land for wildlife by 2025.

Baby news!

Wallington is thrilled to announce the birth of the first baby beaver (a kit) to be born in Northumberland for over 400 years, following the release of a family of Eurasian beavers last year.

Estimated to have been born in late May, the kits arrival is less than twelve months after the beaver release into an enclosure on the estate on the 12 July 2023.

After spotting a heavily pregnant female back in May, the team here at Wallington have waited with anticipation for confirmation of a successful birth and recent footage captured on static camera’s placed within the 24 hectare enclosure clearly shows the kit heading back into the family lodge with its mother as well as taking a dip, moving off the embankment into the water.

Helen McDonald, the National Trust’s Lead Ranger at Wallington said: “We are thrilled that after an absence of around 400 years we now have beavers back and breeding at Wallington. They have put a lot of effort into building and maintaining their lodges and getting their family settled, showing great perseverance and resilience during their relocation and then during the floods we’ve had over the last year.”

“This spring we’ve had our eyes glued to trail camera footage, looking out for signs of breeding and to see whether the adult female beaver was lactating."

“It’s such a relief that they have bred successfully and to see a new fluffy kit swimming with the family, we know now they must feel at home here at Wallington. We’ll continue to monitor the family to check on their health and condition and follow the new kit’s progress.”

Nature’s water engineers

Paul Hewitt, Countryside Manager at the National Trust, said: “Since welcoming the family of beavers to Wallington the resulting impact on the water environment has been nothing short of astonishing.

“As a keystone species we have watched with keen interest as beavers do what beavers do, expertly altering their river environment to the massive benefit of other species. With the development of dams, we are starting to see the benefits of beavers in slowing water flows and making the flood plain more resilient to future climate change.

“As a stark reminder of our changing climate, the release of the beavers here, coincided with the wettest 18-months ever recorded in England. Despite many winter storms with near record river levels recorded the beavers have continued to thrive. As their dam network continues to expand, we will see more evidence of slowing water flows and making more capacity for flood water. Now into the summer months the dammed wetlands are acting as “sponges” slowly releasing water at a steady rate.”

Where did the beavers come from?

The beavers were relocated from wild populations in the River Tay catchment in Scotland, under licence from NatureScot, by consultant ecologist Dr Roisin Campbell-Palmer.

The adult female was, in fact, found to be pregnant when she was trapped in Scotland and taken into Beaver Trust’s holding facilities at Five Sisters Zoo. What followed was a series of careful health checks, sensitive care, and detailed monitoring to ensure the female and her family were calm and comfortable to give the unborn beaver kit the best chance. The team worked to create a bespoke habitat at Five Sisters Zoo, where the beaver family would have plenty of space and enrichment while awaiting the birth of the kit.

A short film was released by the Beaver Trust and Five Sisters Zoo telling the behind the scenes story of a beaver kit’s birth at the Zoo and successful release at National Trust’s Wallington Estate, highlighting the work of those involved who went above and beyond to make it happen. You can view the film at the bottom of this page.

A growing number of sites in the British Isles have reintroduced beavers. The National Trust’s Wallington programme will be carefully monitored for its benefits: from water quality and floodwater management to ecology and vegetation changes, as well as a research study into how the beavers and the native, white-clawed crayfish co-exist in the same watercourse which will be undertaken by the Environment Agency. Newcastle University are creating a 3-D model of the enclosure to help monitor the habitat changes that take place over time. We are looking forward to sharing findings in due course.