Heal Somerset, a leading rewilding charity, is excited to announce a major milestone in its journey towards restoring the natural balance of the land. After months of anticipation, the organization has confirmed the first sighting of a baby beaver born on-site.
Trail camera footage captured the appearance of the baby beaver, known as a kit, earlier this week. This historic moment marks the first recorded evidence of successful wild beaver breeding at Heal Somerset, which is situated between Frome and Bruton.
The team at Heal Somerset had been closely monitoring a lactating female beaver for signs of a potential birth. In order to protect the potential site of the beaver burrow, an exclusion zone was established to minimize human disturbance. During this time, a group of dedicated filming volunteers worked tirelessly to place trail cameras in carefully chosen locations along the riverbank.
Their patience and hard work paid off when the footage revealed a baby beaver swimming alongside an adult, likely its mother. In the video, the adult beaver can be seen gently nudging the kit through the water before it swims away independently. The adult then performs a classic beaver tail slap, an alert behavior indicating possible danger. The kit responds with its own tail slap and quickly dives underwater.
Beaver activity was first recorded at Heal Somerset in early 2024, with a pair confirmed by August of that year. Since then, the beavers have been diligently working to construct several new dams, which were captured on trail cameras showcasing their remarkable persistence and engineering skill. These dams have created deeper pools that are now attracting a variety of wildlife, including ducklings and even otters.
The beavers have settled along a narrow, steep-sided tributary of the River Frome. Their dam-building efforts are gradually widening the banks and slowing the water flow, natural processes that help reduce the risk of downstream flooding and contribute to healthier, more resilient ecosystems.
This exciting development is a significant milestone in Heal’s mission to rewild nature-depleted land in England and create havens for biodiversity. The organization aims to achieve this through the rebuilding of wildlife populations, community involvement, and storytelling, reconnecting people with nature and addressing the climate and ecological crises.
Jan Stannard, spokesperson for Heal Rewilding, said: “We are thrilled to confirm the first sighting of a baby beaver born at Heal Somerset. This is a powerful and historic moment in our rewilding journey, and we are excited to see these remarkable creatures thriving in their natural habitat.”
Heal Rewilding is a registered charity that works to raise money, buy land in England, and rewild it to support nature recovery, climate action, and well-being. The organization’s first rewilding site, Heal Somerset, was purchased in December 2022 and is open for free access to the public 50 weeks a year.
For further information, please contact Jan Stannard at jan@healrewilding.org.uk or 07710 171704. Visit Heal’s website at www.healrewilding.org.uk and Heal Somerset’s website at www.healsomerset.org.uk. A media pack is available on Google Drive here.
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