Beavers and Pine Martens back in Wales

Despite all the gloomy news about climate change, pollution and habitat destruction, there are some exciting things happening in the UK for wildlife. A number of species once extinct or on the brink of extinction in the UK are being reintroduced across the country by organisations such as the Vincent Wildlife Trust.

I was lucky enough to spend some time in Wales recently, and was delighted to be able to observe European beavers for the first time in my life. Tragically, beavers had been extinct in Britain since the 1500s. They were hunted not only for their meat and fur but also for their scent glands, which were used in the production of vanilla frangrance and flavourings. However, various reintroduction projects across the country in the last few years have been successful, and beavers can now be found in certain locations in Scotland, Devon, Wales, Kent, Essex and the Forest of Dean. 

The reintroduction of this charismatic mammal is positive not only for the beavers but also for a whole host of other species, as they act as what is called a 'keystone species'. This means that they are vitally important for a healthy ecosystem. Their busy engineering work, such as building dams, creating new water courses and coppicing riverside trees makes important changes to the wetland. These can also benefit us, as the chance of flooding is reduced.

I could see clear evidence of a number of dams that the beavers had been working on, creating new pools and water channels, and their lodge was just about visible. A lodge is the name for a beaver's home. They contain entrances under water that lead to systems of dry burrows above water. They are made of sticks, mud and leaves and their engineering is very impressive. Beavers constantly work on their lodge, making improvements and patching up holes with mud. 

Beavers are largely nocturnal animals, so I didn't expect to have the chance to photograph them in daylight. However, I saw the first beaver appearing at around 8pm, just before the sunlight disappeared. I felt very privileged to be watching such a rare and interesting animal. In the water, they seem elegant and fast, but on land they are rather like giant, lumbering guinea pigs! 

Beavers can hold their breath for as long as 15 minutes, so sometimes I thought I had lost one and then up it popped!

Beavers are monogamous and stay together for many years. However, they only have one litter of kits each year. The average beaver family consists of 3 kits. Unfortunately, I only saw evidence of one kit in this family. Here you can see him swimming away from his lodge. 

Beavers are strict vegetarians and feed on the roots, leaves and branches of plants and trees along the river bank. They eat roughly a fifth of their body weight every day.

Here's hoping that beavers will now start to thrive and spread across the country, and be a familiar sight to us all once more.

Another British mammal that has been clinging on only in the north of England and Scotland is the pine marten. A combination of hunting and habitat loss led to their demise. However, in 2015, the Vincent Wildlife Trust relocated 50 Scottish pine martens to mid-Wales and, very recently, 18 pine martens were reintroduced to the Forest of Dean.  It is hoped that this reintroduction will also help to control the grey squirrel population which, in turn, would help red squirrels to make a comeback.

I used my trail camera during my trip to Wales to see whether I could find any evidence of these pine martens. After several failed attempts, I was delighted to capture some footage. Most of it was not very clear due to torrential rain, but here is a little flavour of the better bits:

The relocation project in Wales has been a huge success, and there has been evidence of breeding every year since their release.

If you would like to learn more about the reintroduction of the pine marten, have a look at the Vincent Wildlife Trust website. www.vwt.org.uk