Beaver moved to new home in Cornwall as part of conservation project

The Cornish Seal Sanctuary has been caring for Hamish since he was orphaned in the wild

Author: Sarah YeomanPublished 29th Apr 2022
Last updated 29th Apr 2022

A beaver has been released into his new home as part of a successful conservation project in Cornwall.

Hamish was taken in by the Cornish Seal Sanctuary back in January, he was just a couple of months old and had been orphaned in the wild.

He had found a temporary refuge in the woodlands at the Gweek sanctuary.

He arrived with two other juvenile beavers, Scruff and Maple, as part of a collaborative conservation project with the Beaver Trust, to support the restoration of this native species through specialised pre-release captive care of youngsters, to ensure they are fit for release into enclosed projects across Britain.

Now, after spending four months growing and learning to be a wild beaver in a special nursery enclosure, Hamish has been moved to a new, larger site, which will see him paired with a new female and ready to take the next step in his journey.

Tamara Cooper, Curator of the Sanctuary, says it’s just the beginning.

She said: “Watching Hamish move to his new home is a marker of how successful our work here at the Sanctuary has been – and we’ve only just got started.

“He’s grown into a healthy beaver, who has had as little human interaction as possible to ensure he builds those crucial instincts to live in a wild environment.

“Now, our partnership with the Beaver Trust has given us the opportunity to help him move to a new home as part of the West Dorset Wilding Initiative, one of the many projects playing a big part in restoring wild beaver populations across Britain.”

Dr Roisin Campbell-Palmer, beaver ecologist and Restoration Manager from the Beaver Trust, has been a big part of the project at the Sanctuary, having rescued all of the beavers in their care, including our resident adults, Norbert, Barbara and Twiggy.

Following Hamish’s journey to his new home, Dr Campbell-Palmer said: “Beavers are a vital part of our wetland conservation and can bring multiple benefits to nature and human dominated landscapes.

“Part of re-living with this species again can involve the need to relocate animals away from potential conflict areas to those more suited to their needs. As social animals it is important to pair up individuals with suitable projects to ensure good animal welfare and genetic health.

“Watching Hamish settling into his new home is very special and we look forward to seeing how he gets on. ”

The Cornish Seal Sanctuary says it has been an amazing opportunity to not only help restore this species, but also undertake vital research into their impact on the environment.

Beavers are a ‘keystone’ species, which means their natural behaviour has a big impact on our landscape and wildlife. By damming waterways, they pool water, which, in turn, slows the flow in rivers and streams and helps to create new wetland to support extended wildlife - providing a home and water source for many other species, too.

The Sanctuary hopes to see further success from the Secret Creek project and will be welcoming other juvenile beavers to their site for rehabilitation.

You can find out more about the project and donate here.

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