Beavers released on Exmoor form pair in conservation project

Two beavers released into the wild on Exmoor earlier this year appear to have formed a pair, according to conservationists. Trail-camera footage from the National Trust’s Holnicote Estate captured the animals grooming each other and spending time in close proximity.

Released in February, the beavers are part of the second wild release on National Trust land and the third in England since last year. National Trust ranger Mathieu Burtschell noted that the pairing is a positive sign that the animals have found suitable habitat, food, and space to establish a territory.

If the pair remains together, they may eventually establish a family group, helping to strengthen the beaver population across the estate. The reintroduction project aims to restore rivers, wetlands, and floodplains across the 5,000-hectare Holnicote Estate in Somerset.