A PAIR of beavers living at the Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall have had two baby kits.

Parents Twiggy and Byrti were introduced to a purpose-built enclosure on the estate, near Mevagissey, in 2023 and 2024 respectively, as part of a national programme of reintroductions which aims to reverse more than 400 years of beavers being extinct in the UK.

Toby Davies, wildlife co-ordinator at the tourist attraction, said: “The fact that our beavers have bred has shown how they are thriving here at Heligan. The signs were looking good for a number of months and, in the future, we look forward to our kits being introduced elsewhere in the country as part of the reintroduction programme.”

Heligan managing director Laura Chesterfield said: “This is an amazing moment for the Heligan beaver reintroduction and we’re incredibly proud to be playing a key part in hopefully re-establishing this important species in the UK.

“Enhancing the biodiversity of the Heligan estate and the environment beyond is fundamental to our mission and the success of the beaver reintroduction is testament to the fine work being done by our teams.”

The reintroduction at Heligan is being monitored to gauge the beavers’ impact on biodiversity, flood mitigation and grazing livestock.

In October 2022, legislation was introduced to protect free-living beavers in England, which could pave the way for the reintroduction of beavers into the wild in the future.

Heligan is one of the first reintroduction projects in England that has deliberately incorporated farmland. Information gathered could help inform decisions as to whether the unlicensed, free release of beavers becomes legal in the future.

Heligan has worked with the Welsh Beaver Project, the Beaver Trust and Natural England on the reintroduction programme.

As well as beavers, Heligan has introduced water voles and glow-worms to its estate.