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Baby Beavers!

26 June 2015

By Sam

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For the first time in centuries, a beaver wild in the UK has given birth to live young.

The beavers, living in the ironically named River Otter in Devon, were reintroduced by an unknown party. Hunted to extinction in England in the 12th Century, the distinctive-looking mammals were discovered in the river in February of last year.

The birth of the two babies, known as kits, is a good sign for the slowly-expanding population. This will be the first time that an extinct mammal has been successfully reintroduced in England, although many bird reintroduction projects have succeeded. Perhaps most noticeable are Red Kites, once close to extinction in England, which form part of our identity in the North East since their reintroduction in 2004.

We wish every success to the baby beavers!

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