Shock and gnaw! First wild beaver spotted in England for 800 years



The wild animal was photographed beside the River Otter, in Ottery St Mary, Devon, where locals have reported sightings of a beaver

Retired scientist Tom Buckley photographed the creature at night using an infrared camera after spotting nibble marks on trees



Beavers were once native to England but were hunted to extinction during the reign of Henry VIII in the 16th century

Britain's first wild beaver for 500 years has been caught on camera for a second time - but this time gnawing on a tree in the dead of night.

The mammal was first photographed in July last year, but evidence of the its living habits have since been scant.



The rare creatures were thought to have been hunted to extinction in the wild, but a retired scientist has used an infrared camera to photograph a beaver living locally.

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Sightings of a single beaver, pictured, were reported in July 2013, and again in January this year, in the same location where the family has been seen. These images, as well as the new shots of the beaver family, were all captured by retired scientist Tom Buckley

THE BEHAVIOUR OF BEAVERS

Beavers normally live in family groups and can survive up to 24 years in the wild and 35 years in captivity.

They are herbivorous rodents that build corridors in their dams to escape predators such as wolves and bears in the wild.

The animals are nocturnal and can grow to more than 3ft, weigh up to 70lbs, and feed on a diet of reeds, leaves and bark.

Beavers were hunted almost to extinction in Europe, both for fur and for castoreum - a secretion of its scent gland for medicinal properties.

The animal is pictured in a sequence of shots sinking its teeth into a tree trunk beside the River Otter, in Ottery St Mary, near Exeter, Devon, where locals recently reported sightings of a beaver.

Beavers were once native to England but were hunted to extinction during the reign of Henry VIII in the 16th century.



Conservationists have introduced several small groups of beavers back into captivity in the UK, but this is thought to be the first one found living in the wild.



Retired environmental scientist Tom Buckley set up his specialist photographic equipment after several sightings of the creature on the banks of the River Otter, which flows through Somerset and Devon.



He used a trail camera - which automatically takes photos when it detects signs of movement - and positioned it at several points around a small island owned by local farmer David Lawrence, after spotting evidence of bite marks on trees.



When he checked his camera he was delighted to have caught the nocturnal beaver on film, chewing wedges out of the base of a tree in a bid to topple it.

Conservationists have introduced several small groups of beavers back into captivity in the UK, but this is thought to be the first one found living in the wild. Here the animal gnaws on a tree

The animals were pictured in a sequence of shots taken beside the River Otter, in Ottery St Mary, near Exeter, Devon, pictured

Mr Buckley said: ‘I first noticed a tree that had been damaged because I walk around that area every day - then I saw a few trees had been nibbled.



‘For me it posed the question: could it have been a beaver, or was it some kids messing about?



‘When I looked more closely it was clear the damage to the trees had been done by a beaver.’



He explained that the island where he set up his equipment is at the point where the river divides, which might be the ideal location for a dam.



Mr Buckley said: ‘It's where most of the trees have been laid down, not necessarily forming a dam, but it may be that this is the early stages.’



During recent years beavers have been reintroduced in captive areas as part of breeding programs including at Ottery St Mary and Gloucestershire - but none are unaccounted for. Here, a beaver gnaws on wood in captivity

Tom Buckley used a trail camera - which automatically takes photos when it detects signs of movement - and positioned it at several points around a small island near the river, after spotting evidence of bite marks on trees. This image is one of the results

FIRST WILD BEAVER SIGHTING

Last July a wild beaver was spotted in the Rover otter near Budleigh Salterton, Devon.

It was sighted by Lorna Douglas, 35 who was walking her dog at the time.

She said it seemed calm and swam in circles before returning to cover beneath a tree.

She photographed the animal chewing on bark and dragging pieces of wood through the shallow water.

The beaver caught on camera is believed to be the same one spotted in July by Lorna Douglas, 35, while she was walking her dog.



She saw the animal relaxing in the water 13 miles upstream in the same river and Mr Buckley believes the evidence that there is a wild beaver living in the area is irrefutable.



‘The only time I've seen the beaver in the flesh was around Christmas time when I saw its nose while it was in the water,’ he said.



‘Every time I've spotted it on the camera it's been in the pitch dark. It chews on trees and gathers branches together.



Lorna Douglas first spotted the wild beaver in the River Otter last July and managed to take a photo (above)

The retired scientist first noticed a tree that had been damaged from nibbling, which made him want to get photographic evidence of the beaver's existence.This photo documents the damage done by the wild beaver

THE REINTRODUCTION OF BEAVERS

The RSPCA said that the last few British beavers were hunted to extinction in Scotland during the 16th century. To return the creatures to the UK, conservationists have reintroduced them by using close relatives from Norway.

Between May 2009 and September 2010, the Scottish Beaver Trial released four family groups and one pair of beavers into Knapdale Forest, Argyll. More recently, beavers have been reintroduced in captive areas as part of breeding programs including at Ottery St Mary and Gloucestershire - but none are unaccounted for.



‘Most of the sightings, if not all, have been when it comes out of the water and onto the land. The question now is if it's just one, or is it a pair.



‘It may be one that's just passing through from somewhere else - it might be an escapee, but nobody seems to be saying they've lost a beaver.’



Mr Lawrence said he suspected people were messing around with axes when he first saw that a couple of trees had been felled last summer.



‘We haven't seen the real animal yet, only the one in Mr Buckley's photographs. But you can see the "artwork" he does to the trees all around the area,’ the farmer said.



‘It's early days yet but, as long as lots of people don't go there and frighten the beaver away, he should be happy enough.



The island where Mr Buckley set up his equipment is at the point where the river divides, which might be the ideal location for a dam. Here, farmer David Lawrence (pictured) looks at the animal's habitat on the River Otter in east Devon

‘What's going to be really interesting is how it gets on with the other animals, like the otters which we see on the river.’



The RSPCA says that the last few British beavers became extinct in Scotland during the 16th century.



During recent years they have been reintroduced in captive areas as part of breeding programs including at Ottery St Mary and Gloucestershire - but none are unaccounted for.

