First beaver kits in urban London after 400 years

We are delighted to announce the arrival of at least 2 new beaver kits at Paradise Fields, following the reintroduction of beavers to urban London in October 2023. The new babies were born this Spring and have emerged outside the lodge in recent recent weeks at the fully accessible, public site.

The historic births mark the end of a more than 400 year absence of breeding beavers in urban London, once permanent residents in the capital, before hunting, habitat loss and persecution led to the extinction of the species throughout the UK. Their arrival is proof that humans and wildlife can thrive side by side in urban environments.

Beaver kits are usually born in Spring, from April to June, but are rarely seen outside their lodges until July or later. The kits spend two to three years with their parents before setting off to find their own territories.

Camera trap footage of Ealing Beaver kits

The Ealing Beaver Project received support from the Mayor of London’s Rewild London Fund. The Mayor himself has been a personal champion of the project and helped reintroduce beavers on the site in October 2023. The Mayor, Sadiq Khan offering his thoughts on the new kits:

“I am delighted that baby beavers have been born in West London. It was a privilege to be involved in the Autumn release of the beavers at Paradise Fields last year and it’s fantastic to see humans and wildlife thrive side by side with this family growing so quickly.”

Sadiq Khan

Mayor of London

The Ealing Beaver Project team is ecstatic about the new members of the Ealing beaver family which is proof that the beavers are thriving in their new urban home. Here’s what some of the team members had to say about the new arrivals.

“I had every confidence our Beaver family would settle in at Paradise Fields, but to discover they’ve had new baby kits this Spring is really the icing on the Beaver cake! These are not a wilderness species, they are an important animal we once lived alongside up and down the country and welcoming them back, even to our towns and cities, is the right thing to do. We may need to learn to live alongside them again, and sometimes manage their behaviour, but the ecosystem services they provide have been clearly demonstrated here already at the Ealing Beaver Project."

Dr. Sean McCormack

Ealing Beaver Project license holder &
Chair of Ealing Wildlife Group

“From setting up the London Beaver Working Group in 2021, to the release of a family of five beavers to Paradise Fields last autumn, we have always been extremely positive about the prospect of Beavers thriving within our urban landscape in London. This latest milestone for the project, alongside the beavers’ improvement to the site’s water quality, biodiversity, and hydrology has demonstrated its success to date."

Elliot Newton

Co-Founder of Citizen Zoo

“Beaver kits at Paradise Fields in Ealing are a brilliant indication that the beaver family group is settled and thriving, that they've an abundance of food and suitable habitat. Our first urban beaver population is having a wonderful impact on the site's ecology and community, with so much positive potential for the future.”

Jon Staples

Park Ranger at Ealing Council

Support from the Beaver Trust was crucial for the project, who lent their expertise during site consultations and the translocation of beavers. Eva Bishop from Beaver Trust adds:

"Each new generation of kits is wonderful to see and a sign that the beaver family is settling well. Having witnessed the release of these beavers, admired their habitat modifications, and now hearing news of their young, it's an uplifting conservation success story. I hope it inspires those in the community to take a moment to slow down, sit and appreciate this fascinating species at such a publicly accessible and welcoming site."

Eva Bishop

Head of Communications at Beaver Trust

Paradise Fields has already seen the creation of 6 dams, enabling the site to hold more water, and already demonstrating the ecosystem services provided by the Beavers. Improved water quality, reduced flooding, more insects and other wildlife on site, habitat improvements.

We’re grateful for the colossal volunteer effort that went into the project, from site preparation before the Beavers’ arrival to ongoing monitoring efforts on site.

With at least two cute baby beavers to boot! We’re thrilled, and look forward to welcoming more visitors on our walking tours and beaver watching safaris. We also welcome donations to help the ongoing costs of this community and volunteer led project.