Beaver babies filmed in Scottish forest

Published on 03/08/2012 15:36

THREE young beavers have been filmed at play in Argyll’s Knapdale Forest.

The Scottish Beaver Trial announced that the trio, born earlier in the summer, are the largest number to be born in any year since the trial started back in 2009.

The beavers, known as kits, live on Dubh Loch.

Roisin Campbell-Palmer, field operations manager at the Scottish Beaver Trial Field Operations, said: “All three kits are part of the same family, living on the Dubh Loch, which is part of the Scottish Beaver Trial’s Detective Trail.

“This family has bred every year since release, but only giving birth to one kit each year. Unfortunately last year’s kit didn’t survive.

“So seeing three newly emerged kits is really great news for the Trial because it’s a boost to the beaver population. We now have 15 beavers at Knapdale, including six who were born at the Trial site.

“We are hoping for even more kits this season, at Loch Linne and Lochan Beag. The beavers at Loch Linne have also produced kits every year of the Trial so far.

“If the pair at Lochan Beag did produce kits this year, they would be the first for new partners Elaine and Christian.

“These kits will join their family in being effective ecosytem engineers, by creating ponds and wetlands which attract insects and amphibians.

The Scottish Beaver Trial is a five-year project to examine the impact of the beavers in the wild in Scotland.

It is a partnership between the Scottish Wildlife Trust, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland and host partners, Forestry Commission Scotland.