Chiew LooThe beavers were released near Biggleswade in two phases A family of beavers have successfully been released into the Bedfordshire countryside for the first time in 400 years.
A male, a female and two kits were introduced to the Southill Estate, close to Biggleswade, from the end of February, in a project that was two years in the planning.
The Eurasian beavers are "recognised as ecosystem engineers" and their job is to restore the ecology and use their dam building skills to create drought resilience, said Restore, a nature restoration company that worked on the release.
Charles Whitbread, the estate's owner, said it was a "long and complex journey" and seeing the beavers in their new habitat was "truly wonderful".
Chiew Loo
Chiew LooThe beavers being released on the Southill Estate in FebruaryOne of the adults checks out its surroundings once it leaves the cageAfter two years of careful preparation, licensing and habitat creation, the beavers were released into a purpose-built enclosure at the estate.
Whitbread said: "This has been a long and complex journey, with challenges we didn't always know we would overcome and there were moments when we genuinely wondered whether this day would ever come.
"To finally see the beavers released and swimming in the landscape was truly wonderful, and something I will not forget."
The licence was granted by Natural England, secured in partnership with the Beaver Trust.
A fenced enclosure was constructed, a pond created and willow planted - and a ditch was "re-wiggled" to restore more natural hydrological flow and habitat complexity.
Chiew LooWetland habitats created by beavers can increase carbon sequestration in soils and vegetation, supporting broader climate mitigation efforts, Restore saidRestore said the industrious rodents were released on the estate in two stages.
The first involved an adult male and two kits sourced from Scotland. A few days later they were joined by an adult female that had spent 14 months at Wildwood Trust being rehabilitated and prepared for independent living.
"The beaver release reflects a broader commitment by the estate owner to manage the land differently, creating space for nature to recover alongside productive land use", Restore said.
"Beaver dams slow water flow, helping to retain water in the landscape, a critical function in Bedfordshire, one of the driest counties in the country.
"By attenuating peak flows, they contribute to natural flood mitigation within the River Ivel chalk stream catchment."
The family will be closely monitored under the terms of the licence.
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