Beavers released at Nene Wetlands by Rushden Lakes are first in Northamptonshire for 400 years

The water-loving mammals were last seen in the county four centuries ago.

But the Wildlife Trust, supported by Anglian Water through its Get River Positive fund, has today (Thursday) released a family of eight beavers at Delta Pit, close to Rushden Lakes.

While this project has been a long time in the planning and preparation, the wait was definitely worth it as mum Boudica and dad Alan, named after Northamptonshire’s Chatty Man Alan Carr himself, took to the water with their youngsters for the first time.

Having travelled all the way from Scotland, the adult beavers seemed keen to get out and explore their new surroundings, while the youngsters were slightly more reserved in checking out the new pad.

Supported by the Beaver Trust and The Wildlife Trust, the beavers were released in front of invited guests including the Northants Telegraph and other local media as well as staff from Rushden Lakes.

We all stood very quietly as each crate carrying the beavers was gently carried down the path to the release area, keen to catch a glimpse of these beautiful creatures.

They are surprisingly big but anyone who spots them at Rushden Lakes will undoubtedly be blown away by their grace when swimming through the water.

Beavers are nocturnal and naturally quite secretive creatures, but there is something quite special in just knowing that they are now in residence at Rushden Lakes.

And anyone who manages to get a picture of one will be feeling very smug indeed.

A 17-hectare enclosure has been created for the beavers behind the shopping and leisure section of Rushden Lakes, surrounded by a fence which has been designed so they can’t bury their way out.

The fence also helps the trust comply with the terms of their licence from Natural England which means they must keep the beavers in one area and monitor them over the next five years.

While the project has cost around £150,000, the majority of which has gone towards the fence and preparing for their arrival, it is hoped the beavers will start paying for themselves over time in helping to manage the natural habitat.

Speaking ahead of the release, Nik Shelton from The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire said: “We want to prove that we can have beavers this close to people, we want people to be inspired by them, to support conservation and to prove we can have these natural conservationists.”

Now the beavers have arrived, they will be monitored to ensure they have settled into their new surroundings.

And the trust will be providing various ways so members of the public can stay up to date with the family’s progress, including via cameras in the enclosure.

The Wildlife Trust in Northamptonshire announced back in July 2023 that beavers, which are often known as eco-engineers, will help to maintain the wet woodland habitat around Delta Pit, by creating a dynamic and diverse wetland habitat.

And we felt incredibly lucky to see this wonderful project finally come to fruition as they made their eagerly awaited arrival today – good luck to them in their new home!