After months of careful planning and preparation a family of eight beavers have been released at the Nene Wetlands in Northamptonshire. They are now exploring their new home at Delta Pit lake next door to the popular Rushden Lakes shopping centre.

The family were translocated and released by experts at Beaver Trust following their health screening at a zoo in Scotland, alongside the Wildlife Trust team who have spent four years planning the project and creating the 17-hectare fenced enclosure.

The project has been supported by Anglian Water through its Get River Positive fund.

The family matriarch is missing a leg which is believed to have been lost in a fight. But it has not stopped her raising a family and her fighting spirit has led Beaver Trust staff to name her Boudica. The male adult of the family has been named Alan by Wildlife Trust staff in honour of comedian Alan Carr who grew up in Northamptonshire. The youngsters will be named by local residents and supporters in the coming weeks.

Matt Johnson, Wildlife Trust Conservation Manager, said: “It was certainly a special moment for all our team and all the people who have supported us along the way. Beavers were last seen in Northamptonshire in the 16^th Century and this is the first step of their return to our countryside.

“I can’t wait to see how they will respond to their new home, but also how the environment will respond to them. Beavers are ecosystem engineers, they will gnaw trees and plants and help transform the site into a more diverse habitat where other species can thrive.

“We aren’t the first to release beavers in the UK, but this project is taking a different approach to others by releasing them in a much more publicly accessible site. Just around the corner from Delta Pit is a busy shopping centre with millions of visitors a year as well as homes and businesses nearby. We hope we can inspire local communities and visitors with the story of nature’s recovery and build more support for conservation.”

Chris Gerrard, Head of Landscape Transformation, Anglian Water: “We’re proud to support the reintroduction of beavers to Northampton through our Get River Positive initiative. These natural engineers create wetlands that boost biodiversity and protect communities from flooding. The project, near Rushden Lakes shopping centre, offers visitors a chance to observe beavers in their habitat and learn about their environmental impact. We are excited to see how this beaver family shapes their new home within this unique environment.”

Dr Roisin Campbell-Palmer, Head of Restoration at Beaver Trust: said: “Beavers are a fantastic natural solution for managing large and dynamic sites like this one. Not only will they help enhance and increase woodland diversity, but their presence will also introduce a large audience to the incredible benefits this species can bring.

"Among them is Boudica, a three-legged female who has adapted remarkably well after losing one of her forelegs, likely as a young kit, highlighting the resilience of beavers in the wild. Despite her injury, she has successfully raised a large, healthy family, proving just how adaptable and capable these animals are.”

The beavers were trapped under license in Scotland and moved to Northants following best practice handling guidelines to ensure high animal welfare. They will now be closely monitored by the reserve team as they get used to their surroundings, make a lodge and start to find food.

A series of information boards will be going up around the site in the coming days to tell the story of beavers in Britain and we will hold education events to introduce children to the species and the role they play in wetland habitats.

Trail cameras have been installed inside the enclosure and we will be sharing clips and updates on social media and at wildlifebcn.org/beavers.

To support this ongoing work you can donate to our Beaver Appeal. Find out more and donate at www.wildlifebcn.org/beaverappeal

Get River Positive was launched by Anglian Water and Severn Trent in 2022. The plan includes five pledges to transform river water quality across their regions and demonstrates a clear and actionable response to calls for a revival of rivers in England. Central to the pledges is a commitment that work carried out by the two water companies will ensure storm overflows and sewage treatment works do not harm rivers.