A family of five Eurasian beavers are thriving since being reintroduced back into Ealing last October.
This historic event marks 400 years since beavers have inhabited West London, they were translocated from Scotland to Paradise Fields, a ten-hectare area of meadow woodlands and wetland.
This is a joint project between Ealing Wildlife Group (EWG), Ealing Council, Citizen Zoo and Friends of Horsenden Hill, and is supported by Beaver Trust and the Mayor of London.
Dr Sean McCormack, vet and conservationist and Chair of Ealing Wildlife Group said: “They’ve settled in remarkably well and they seem very happy, and they have done all of the things we’d expect them to have done and more.”
Ben Stockwell – senior urban rewilding officer at Citizen Zoo said: “We even saw signs of dam building within the first 48 hours and they have since created a series of five dams across the site, creating new ponds and holding up large quantities of water.”
The project has three main objectives; urban flood mitigation, biodiversity and habitat changes, and the third and arguably the most important by engaging urban and human communities, with people from diverse backgrounds.
There is a chance that the mother beaver is pregnant, as beavers tend to have kits in late April, early May.
Dr McCormack said: “We’re hopeful that there will be a pitter patter of little baby beaver feet in June.”
As part of the license conditions the beavers’ behavior and welfare is monitored by ten remote trail cameras deployed across site, with a team of trained volunteers reviewing the footage, no major incidents have been captured, only hard work!
Dr McCormack said: “The beavers are just cracking on every night doing their work, building dams,building their lodge,taking down trees and feeding,and opening up some of the habitat, and making opportunities for other wildlife.”
if you would like to visit the site, learn more about the project and see signs of beavers, you can sign up here.
Photo credit: The Ealing Beaver Project
