Beaver kits spotted at Longleat for the first time

Longleat's Dr Tom Lewis called the footage "incredible and a very rare"

Two beaver kits and their mother have been spotted on camera for the first time at Longleat.

The beavers arrived on the estate in 2021 and have since established three breeding territories, said conservation and research manager, Dr Tom Lewis.

New footage shows them building dams, lodges and satellite lodges across the estate, boosting biodiversity.

“We feel really fortunate to be able to share with everyone the intimate detail of what we have found using the cameras. I feel really privileged to be able to see this," said Dr Lewis.

Beavers arrived on the Longleat estate in 2021

He described footage of the beavers, which are a protected species under English and European law, as "incredible and a very rare sight".

Beavers are ecosystem engineers, said Dr Lewis, who added that one territory at Longleat that started as a small stream now has several ponds, including one which is 20m wide, created by the beavers building dams.

"Longleat is brimming with native wildlife, and beavers are one of the crown jewels. We assumed they have been breeding here, and we’ve seen lots of feeding activity," he said.

“It is so exciting every time we come here to see what they are working on and in three years they have made a massive difference, increasing the size of the wetland and increasing the biodiversity of the area.”

The mammals were hunted to extinction in the UK about 400 years ago, largely for their fur, meat and oil in their scent glands.

They were reintroduced to the UK about 20 years ago and their numbers have steadily grown through a number of schemes across the country.