First beaver leaves Cornish Seal Sanctuary in conservation project success

A beaver from the Cornish Seal Sanctuary in Gweek has moved to his new home as the charity marks its first successful release from the Secret Creek conservation project.

Hamish, who came to the Sanctuary back in January, was just a couple of months old when he had been orphaned in the wild and found temporary refuge in the woodlands.

He arrived with two other juvenile beavers, Scruff and Maple, as part of a collaborative conservation project with the Beaver Trust, to support the restoration of this native species through specialised pre-release captive care of youngsters, to ensure they are fit for release into enclosed projects across Britain.

Now, after spending four months growing and learning to be a wild beaver in the special nursery enclosure, Hamish has been moved to a new, larger site, which will see him paired with a new female and ready to take the next step in his journey.

Tamara Cooper, Curator of the Sanctuary, says it's just the beginning:

"Watching Hamish move to his new home is a marker of how successful our work here at the Sanctuary has been – and we've only just got started.

"He's grown into a healthy beaver, who has had as little human interaction as possible to ensure he builds those crucial instincts to live in a wild environment.

"Now, our partnership with the Beaver Trust has given us the opportunity to help him move to a new home as part of the West Dorset Wilding Initiative, one of the many projects playing a big part in restoring wild beaver populations across Britain."

"Watching Hamish settling into his new home is very special and we look forward to seeing how he gets on," added Dr Roisin Campbell-Palmer, beaver ecologist and Restoration Manager from the Beaver Trust.

To donate to the project, or to find out more, click here.