Beavers make gnaw-some start to life in new home

Beavers that were reintroduced to a county for the first time in more than 400 years are "settling in really well", a conservationist said.

The large rodents were brought to a 17-hectare (42 acre) fenced enclosure at Rushden Lakes in Northamptonshire in February.

The family of eight, including adult female Boudicca, adult male Alan, and their six young, known as kits, were moved down from Scotland.

Matt Johnson, conservation manager for the Wildlife Trust in Northamptonshire, said there were "really positive" signs that the animals had taken to their new surroundings.

"We have trail cameras dotted around the enclosure that they're in and we're seeing them fairly regularly so we do health checks [on them] as well," he said.

"We have a really hands-off relationship with them as they're wild animals and they have quite sizeable teeth."

Mr Johnson said the beavers were feeding well and had built a lodge to live in.

According to the Wildlife Trust, beavers are a "keystone" species - one that plays a central role in the structure of an ecosystem.

Historically, they were hunted to extinction for their pelts and their secretion called castoreum, an oil used in perfume making.

Their enclosure is adjacent to the Rushden Lakes shopping centre, giving the public a chance to see the rodents in action.

Mr Johnson said that the nocturnal mammals were easiest to spot between dusk and the early hours of the morning.

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