First beaver kits in 400 years born in the wild in the Cairngorms National Park - Cairngorms National Park Authority
Beavers released in the Cairngorms National Park have successfully bred and given birth to two kits, making them the first wild-born beavers in the Cairngorms in over 400 years. The beaver kits were born to two of the six family groups that have been translocated to the upper Spey catchment, as part of a coordinated effort to re-establish the species in the Cairngorms National Park.
Beavers are known as ‘ecosystem engineers’ – by changing and re-naturalising the landscape around them they help restore our rivers and wetlands, which in turn helps reduce the impacts of climate change and boost biodiversity.
Sarah Henshall, Head of Conservation at the Cairngorms National Park Authority, said: “This is a really exciting milestone in our project to bring beavers back to the Cairngorms National Park. We’ve been monitoring the beavers closely since the first releases in December and it’s encouraging that two of the beaver pairs have already bred successfully. There are also encouraging signs of breeding behaviour at other locations – including evidence of them busily expanding their lodges – so we are hopeful that there will be more kits to come. Today’s news is another positive step towards establishing a sustainable population of beavers in the National Park. To get to this point in the journey of bringing beavers back to the Cairngorms National Park, there has been extensive engagement with the agricultural community, fishing interests, the public and other key stakeholders. We have to thank the land owners and all the partners involved for their hard work and support of this project.”
Posted On: 07/08/2024
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