TWO new baby beavers have been born in the wild in a forest in North Yorkshire.

The kits are latest addition to the beaver family at Cropton Forest near Pickering and bring the total number of beavers on site to eight.

The new additions are both doing well and they are helping the rest of the group to continue their daily dam building activities at the woodland site.

Cath Bashforth, Ecologist at Forestry England, said: "The changes the beaver family have made to the site in the 2 years that they have been there are just amazing.

"The beaver dam is slowing the flow of water passing through the site and we are seeing signs of increased biodiversity in the habitats the beaver have created."

Beavers are very family-orientated and kits stay with their group for at least two years. An assessment will then be made as to whether they stay on site as a large extended family group or are considered for moving to another project.

Alan Eves, Forest Management Director at Forestry England, said: “We introduced the adult pair to the 10-hectare enclosure in Cropton Forest on the North York Moors back in April 2019 as a five-year Forestry England trial to measure their impact on flood management in association with the Slowing the Flow project.

“We have been working in partnership with many organisations and individuals to study how they affect the landscape and whether their actions can help reduce flooding. The objective is to monitor whether their activity has a positive impact on maintaining the artificial wooden dams in the area and boosting biodiversity.”

  • All images and footage © Forestry England.