The first baby beaver to have been born in Norfolk in more than 600 years has been spotted by conservationists.
Beavers were reintroduced to Norfolk last year as part of a project to try and bring the species back to the UK for good.
The project saw two pairs of beavers successfully reintroduced at Wild Ken Hill, near Heacham, and seems to be going extremely well after a new addition to the family was spotted by cameras.
The kit, as baby beavers are known, was filmed by a camera paddling through the water at night.
It is thought the kit belongs to a pair of beavers named Orange and Flow, who met in autumn last year and have been building dams together over the winter.
In May this year, a lodge was also discovered in the beaver enclosure.
Beavers build lodges as protection from predators and will raise their kits inside them in the first few months.
While finding the kit is huge news for conservationists, they say there could be more in the area as beavers usually produce three offspring at a time.
In an effort to find out if there are any more baby beavers hidden away, the team have deployed more cameras in the 55-acre beaver enclosure to try and spot them.
The habitat in the beaver enclosure at Wild Ken Hill, near Heacham on the north Norfolk coast
(Image: PA)
Lloyd Park, conservation leader and ecologist at Wild Ken Hill, said: “This beaver kit represents an historic moment towards the conservation and restoration of the species within lowland England.
“Beavers are a vital link in restoring and regenerating our natural places, and in their short time here at Wild Ken Hill they have already made a significant impact on the landscape within their enclosure.
“Through their natural processes, we have seen increased water levels and changes to the woodland structure that provide opportunities for a host of other wildlife.”
Eurasian beavers once lived in Norfolk but were hunted to extinction for their fur, glands and meat in the 16th century.
The nearby villages of Babingley and Flitcham in Norfolk have beavers on their village signs at is was said that, during a historic storm out in the Wash, beavers guided Saint Felix to safety in west Norfolk.
They are known as “ecosystem engineers” due to their presence having such a positive impact on the local environment and biodiversity.
Dominic Buscall, project manager at Wild Ken Hill, said: “This is another exciting step on the journey to restore beavers to East Anglia.
“Beavers bring huge benefits to our natural environment.
“With the right balance of protection and management, we could harness them across England to assist nature recovery and prevent flooding – the project here at Wild Ken Hill is seeking to demonstrate that.”
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