Beaver reintroduction has been a topic of conversation since the early 2000s; with the first significant population being established in the River Tay of Scotland in 2001. It is believed these beavers were escapees or the result of illegal releases, but their presence led to the discussion of reintroducing beavers to the UK. Eventually, an application termed the “Scottish Beaver Trial” was accepted and the first release was made in 2009!
... until recently, beavers in England were only allowed to be released in enclosed spaces
Since then, there have been many projects across the UK focused on beaver reintroduction. However, until recently, beavers in England were only allowed to be released into enclosed spaces. A new licensing system launched by Natural England changes this by permitting the release of wild beavers! They are working with a total of 30 wild-release projects, all at different stages of development.
On Friday 13th February 2026, a beaver pair – named Parsnip and Turnip – were released into the Par and Fowey River Catchment in Cornwall. This pair are a part of the Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s wild release project, and the charity will continue to monitor their progress, alongside the 4 other beavers that were released on Monday.
These beavers marked the county's first fully licensed release
These beavers marked the county’s first fully licensed release, and a huge milestone in beaver reintroduction. This was shortly followed by the release of a family group and a pair at two sites across the Holnicote Estate on Exmoor.
But why beavers? National Trust Project Manager, Ben Eardley, says:
“Beavers are extraordinary partners in our work to restore nature at scale. Over the last few years, we’ve seen how their dams and wetlands transform the landscape, create habitat, and help buffer both floods and drought.”
These "ecosystem engineers" play a huge role in creating suitable habitats for an abundance of species
These animals are considered a keystone species, one which has a disproportionately large effect on its environment. These “ecosystem engineers” play a huge role in creating suitable habitats for an abundance of species – birds, insects, and more! After being absent from the UK for 400 years, conservationists are looking forward to seeing how these animals can improve our damaged wetlands.