A collaborative effort between The Lost Gardens of Heligan, The Welsh Beaver Project, Beaver Trust and Natural England has led to the successful translocation of Byrti, a four-year-old beaver, to Cornwall. This initiative aims to replicate natural dispersal behaviour, allowing Byrti to establish his own territory and providing a fantastic opportunity to educate visitors to Heligan about this native species.
Originally from Tayside, Byrti moved to Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust’s Cors Dyfi nature reserve with his parents. Now, it’s time for him to embark on a new chapter just as he would if living in the wild. It is hoped that Byrti will pair up with the remaining female beaver at Heligan, following the sad passing of her original male partner. This pairing would not only promote natural behaviours but also potentially lead to offspring, further enhancing the species genetics in Britain.
Alasdair Moore, Head of Gardens and Estate at Heligan, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Byrti to Heligan, not only because he’s a splendid looking beaver with a lovely temperament but also due to the expert guidance and high standard of animal welfare provided by the Beaver Trust to ensure the best possible match with the prospective Mrs Byrti. It’s a real privilege to work with the Beaver Trust.”
Alicia Leow Dyke, Welsh Beaver Project Officer at Wildlife Trust Wales, said: “It is sad to see Byrti go, but we are very happy that he has a new home. Byrti first arrived at Cors Dyfi as a kit and he is now a young adult, in the wild beavers will naturally disperse when they become young adults. Working closely with the Beaver Trust we were able to find a suitable home for Byrti and it was such a privilege to see him settling into his new home – there cannot be many beavers that have lived in Scotland, Wales and England! We look forward to hearing how he gets on at Heligan.”
A report published by Natural England found that the English beaver population, overall, is not closely related. However, because these populations are small, scattered and mostly in enclosures, we do need to move beavers between locations when kits reach an age they would naturally disperse from their family, to set up their own territory and help ensure the beaver population remains genetically healthy.
Dr Roisin Campbell-Palmer, Head of Restoration at Beaver Trust, said: “Using a beaver studbook allows us to manage beaver populations effectively, much like zoos do with their animals. By carefully pairing beavers, we maintain genetic diversity and promote natural behaviours, which are essential for the welfare of these animals.”
The studbook not only helps in tracking lineage but will play a crucial role in planning future translocations and pairings to ensure long-term viability and best practice animal welfare for beaver populations in Britain.
Giles Wagstaff, Senior Adviser at Natural England, said: “Where beavers live in enclosures, their young have no opportunity to disperse and establish families of their own without human intervention. It’s therefore really important that beavers are carefully matched to ensure a healthy and sustainable population. The beaver studbook is a bit like Married at First Sight except it is primarily looking to avoid pairing related beavers to maintain genetic diversity. Its success is reliant on data sharing between beaver projects, the Beaver Trust and Natural England so we know the origin of all of the beavers in different parts of the country. Natural England is proud to support such an initiative.”
Everyone involved hopes Byrti’s translocation will result in him settling into his new home with his new mate and prove another successful intervention using the studbook to ensure healthy and genetically diverse beaver populations in Britain.
