Beavers born in Hampshire for first time in 400 years

Beavers have been born in Hampshire for the first time in 400 years.

The two baby beavers, known as kits, were first spotted in early July in an enclosure on the Ewhurst Park estate near Basingstoke, its team announced on Tuesday.

The kits have since been captured on camera, swimming, splashing and gnawing on bark.

They were born on the 925-acre estate to parents Chompy and Hazel, who were released into the enclosure in January 2023 as the first beavers in Hampshire since the 1600s.

Fiona Kenny, Ewhurst Park’s head of ecology management, said she was among the first to spot the newborn kits.

“I was showing a group around the beaver enclosure when I heard a distinctive sploshing sound,” she said.

“All of a sudden we were amazed to see a baby beaver splashing about in the water. It was an incredible moment.”

Beavers were hunted to extinction in Britain in the 16th century for their fur, glands and meat but they can now be found living in the wild in a number of rivers in Scotland.

In England, they have been introduced into enclosures in several counties although they can also be found in the wild through official trials and illegal releases or escapes.

The semi-aquatic mammals are important for restoring landscapes by acting as “ecosystem engineers”, building dams and felling trees to provide vital habitat and resources for insects, fish, plants, birds and bats, and help to mitigate flooding risks.

Wildlife experts said beavers need to be back in the wild to help tackle the climate and nature crises.

The Ewhurst Park project is part of wider rewilding efforts on the former shooting estate, which was bought by Malaysian-born model and entrepreneur Mandy Lieu four years ago.

She said: “The arrival of kits is yet another very exciting moment in Ewhurst Park’s nature restoration journey, with many more yet to come.

“The beavers’ modifications to the landscape through damming and tree felling have been extraordinary.

“We have already recorded many important species in the enclosure including very rare barbastelle bats.”

Roisin Campbell-Palmer, head of restoration at Beaver Trust, said: “We’re delighted to see another family in another county successfully breeding.

“Each new generation of kits is wonderful to see and a sign that the pair are settling well.”

Records of Chompy and Hazel’s offspring will be collated into a “beaver studbook” developed by Beaver Trust in collaboration with Natural England to monitor the species across England.