Norfolk beavers birth first offspring in 500 years

Two wild beavers have been born in Norfolk, England, marking the first time the species has reproduced in the county in approximately 500 years. The offspring belong to a pair of adult beavers living in the Penthorp Nature Reserve near Fakenham.

The adult beavers established a lodge in the River Wensum, representing the first recorded presence of the species in Norfolk since they disappeared from England in the early 16th century. While beavers have been reintroduced to the English countryside since 2015, the nearest known wild population is over 200 kilometers away in Kent.

How the pair arrived in the Wensum remains a mystery. Some speculate they may have been illegally released by activists through a practice known as ‘beaver bombing,’ an action not supported by the Penthorp reserve. Richard Spowart, head of the reserve, noted that while they do not support such practices, the arrival of the playful kits is an ‘amazing sight.’