Beavers caught having intercourse on digicam and now there’s hope of child increase
Randy couple captured by a trail cam after hooking up through wildlife reintroduction programme and now there’s hope we’ll have some little beavers
Two beavers have been caught on camera mating triggering hope of a baby boom. The randy couple were captured by a trail cam having a dam good time after hooking up through a reintroduction programme.
Beavers are elusive and nocturnal so sightings – especially of mating – are incredibly rare. The duo were part of a group of four who were the first beavers released in the wild in England under a government licence last year.
Wildlife experts said the steamy footage is a sign they have settled into their new habitat at Little Sea in Studland, Dorset, well.
Staff hope there will be baby beavers this summer. The Eurasian beaver was hunted to extinction in the UK 400 years ago. But work is underway across the country to bring them back as the ecosystem engineers are great for the environment.
The couple were released at Little Sea a year ago under the first wild government licence.
Before the creatures had only been released to enclosures or unofficially set free by individual wildlife enthusiasts in ‘beaver bombings’.
A National Trust spokesman said: “They are nocturnal so sightings are quite rare and it’s incredibly rare to see beavers mating. We have trail cams all around their habitat. That’s how we managed to pick it up.
“It was exciting for us because they are one of the pairs we released almost a year ago and this shows they are settling in.
“They were released after the mating season last year so this is their first breeding season here. We’re hoping there will be babies in June. They can have up to four kits in one litter.”
In the past beavers were an important part of the UK’s natural ecosystem.
They became extinct in the 16th Century due to hunting for their fur, meat and scent glands.
Boffins say beaver activity increases biodiversity by providing habitats for a wide range of species including fish, amphibians, mammals, water-loving plants and insects.
They need a freshwater habitat with lots of woody vegetation.
Though Little Sea originated as a landlocked body of seawater it has been replenished by fresh water draining off the heathland.
Surrounded by dense woodland it is thought to be a highly suitable habitat for beavers.
The National Trust wants to establish a viable population there and hopes the beavers will eventually create wetlands.
The footage is a boost to its plans after one of the males released last March was found dead from suspected salt water poisoning five months later.
