New film tells the story of Devon’s wild beavers

We wrote last year about the population of beavers found living on the River Otter in Devon in south-west England.  These were the first wild communities of beavers found since hunting drove the animal to extinction in the UK in the 1700s.  Earlier this year, the first baby beavers – known as kits – were born on the river (watch footage of them here).

The Devon Wildlife Trust, who monitor the beaver population, have recently released a short film documenting their work and the impacts of the animals on the local environment and communities.  The film outlines how the Devon beavers are valuable ‘ecosystem engineers’ of new habitats in and around the river, have become a draw for ecotourists, and a focal point for local environmental education schemes.

More information on the Devon beavers.