Bringing back beavers

The Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) is Europe's largest rodent and was native to Britain. Sadly they were hunted to extinction in the 16th century for  fur, meat and scent glands. The loss of this charismatic species also led to loss of the mosaic of lakes, meres, mires, tarns and boggy places that it so brilliantly built and managed.

Beryl and Bertie have been beavering away in their new home at Shrewsbury Town Council's Old River Bed since February 2025 and quickly made their mark on their environment.

Thanks to our team of dedicated volunteers we have been closely monitoring their progress, and they've been busy during their first year!