Plymouth's first beaver for 400 years gets female companion
It's hoped they will have kits together
Last updated 21st Jan 2021
The first beaver in Plymouth for over 400 years has now got a female companion.
The female Eurasian beaver was immediately released into a specially designed re-wilding enclosure near Poole Farm.
Footage shows her meeting with her companion, who was released in November last year.
Having left her cage, she swam around the pond for several minutes, before the male emerged from his lodge.
They swam together before having a little ‘getting to know you tussle’ in the water.
Like her male friend, the new arrival weights around 20kg and was also caught in the wild in the Tay Catchment in Scotland.
The pair's behaviour and actions will now be monitored in the hope that its actions will reduce flooding further downstream and create habitats for wildlife in the Bircham Valley.
It’s all part of the Green Minds project, a city council initiative which will re-wild urban parks, gardens and verges and introduce a new system of working with partners.
It will also encourage more people from all walks to life to enjoy the health benefits that green spaces provide.