It’s a family affair for Cairngorm beavers as new kits are introduced
The first glimpse of beaver kits born in Cairngorms National Park this summer has been captured on video and released today.
“Footage from camera traps confirms arrival of at least five kits,” confirmed the authority.
“After weeks of anticipation, we are delighted to report the birth of at least five beaver kits in the park.”
Summer is breeding season for the beavers, so the team and volunteers have been on 'kit watch', keeping a close eye on signs of new life near their lodges.
So far, five new arrivals have been captured on camera traps at two separate sites, with hopes high that other breeding pairs may also have been successful.
“The new arrivals, less than two years after the first beaver releases in the park, are a positive step towards our ambition to establish a healthy, sustainable population,” said Jonathan Willet, beaver project manor for the CNPA.
“It is also a clear indication that the beavers are thriving in the rich wetland and lochan habitats of the Upper Spey catchment.
“It’s so exciting to see the new kits emerging from the burrow, exploring the habitat around them with their parents and splashing in the water.
“We’re hopeful that there may be even more kits at other sites, which we are monitoring closely over the next few weeks.”
Kits usually stay with their family for two years before leaving the family unit to find a mate. Those born last year – the first beaver kits in the Cairngorms for 400 years – are now healthy juveniles, who will be ready to start exploring and finding mates of their own over the next year.
“It’s heartening to see that this year’s breeding season has also been a success,” said Mr Willet.
Beavers are considered ‘nature’s engineers’ with an incredible ability to rework, restore and re-naturalise the landscape, helping combat climate change and boost biodiversity.
“We are working with land managers interested in having beavers on their land to identify and prepare sites for the third round of beaver releases in the autumn – in line with our five-year licence from NatureScot – alongside our routine monitoring.”
