Wild beavers thriving at Longleat

Two beaver families have successfully bred kits at Longleat, with the young captured on camera.

Wild beavers were first found on the estate in 2020, after the species was successfully reintroduced across the UK.

“The beaver population at Longleat has grown from just two families in 2020 to four families in 2025,” said Dr Tom Lewis, Head of Conservation and Research at Longleat. “We had evidence of one family successfully breeding, however, camera trap videos show two of our beaver families happily eating and grooming each other.”

Beavers are still considered endangered in England, but local populations are increasing due to the natural expansion from established areas.

The young beavers will stay with their families for around two years before dispersing to find a territory of their own in the local area.

Dr Tom added, “Having beavers at Longleat helps us restore natural processes that increase biodiversity. In the drought, most streams dried up, but the beaver ponds held water, which was critical for other wildlife this summer.”

Beavers support a whole network of species that rely on stable wetland habitats. Ponds created and maintained by the beavers support amphibians, fish, insects like dragonflies and flies, and the animals like bats that feed on them.