Baby beavers bring joy to nature reserve

Workers and volunteers at a Wildlife Trust said they were overjoyed after discovering baby beavers had been born at a nature reserve for the first time in more than 400 years.

The new arrivals were spotted at the Nene Wetlands nature reserve, part of Rushden Lakes, in Northamptonshire.

Volunteer Jeannette Smith said after noticing mother Boudica had put on weight, everyone "kept their fingers" crossed that the babies, known as kits, would appear.

Reserve officers said two had been spotted, but more could be in the lodge that the mammals, including dad, Alan, had built.

Ben Casey said there could be more kits as the breading season goes on until April

Ben Casey, project officer, said it was "the first beaver kits to be born in Northamptonshire for at least 400 years potentially".

"The whole team is incredibly excited, it's a real landmark moment for nature restoration in the county.

"We're over the moon, we're overjoyed it is the first time this has happened in such a long time it's such a momentous thing to happen."

The family of eight, including adult female Boudicca, adult male Alan, and their six young, known as kits, had been moved down from Scotland, in February.

Jeanette Smith said now babies had been born it was going to make visitors even more interested in the project

Ms Smith said there was a "massive interest" in the beavers from visitors.

"Nearly every other person that comes in wants to talk beaver, we're extremely excited.

"It's an amazing thing that's brought a lot of people down to the wetlands.

"Everyone kept their fingers crossed when they had built a new lodge."

Julia French has only spotted the beavers once, when they were first released in February

Julia French, who volunteers and works on the site, said: "It's been absolutely brilliant to find out, it's been a really nice project, and really fun, it makes me even more engaged than what I was before.

"There's been so much interest, kids have been so interested as they've never seen a beaver before and there's just a really nice positive attitude about it."

The beavers have felled trees, gnawed bark and built a lodge

The trust is now asking people to get in touch to name the young, with the final decision going to a public vote.