This was my first time witnessing a beaver in the wild and never in my wildest dream did I expect my first encounter to be in the middle of Canterbury, next to a busy car park whilst school children and Christmas shoppers went about their business just a few feet from the riverbank.  

I’d been tipped off by a colleague that there was a tree near to the Sainsbury’s car park in Canterbury that looked like it had been gnawed by a beaver. So, before heading off to do my Christmas shopping, I went for a walk along the riverbank and sure enough there were plenty of signs of beaver activity: gnawed branches, channels pushed through vegetation on the banks and a tree which wasn’t far from being completely felled. I stayed by the river for a while, but saw no beavers so decided to return at dusk. 

Learn about the beavers of Kent through our education workshops

So, having finished my Christmas shopping for the day, I returned to the river, not expecting much and more in hope than anticipation. I had barely been standing there 30 seconds when, sure enough, a beaver swam right past me before diving and disappearing into the bushes which were overgrowing the bank on the other side. I just about had time to whip my gloves off and grab my camera to get some very grainy footage of the beaver swimming away from me. 

What surprised me most about this encounter was not necessarily the fact that I was witnessing a beaver in the wild in Britain, but it was the seemingly nonchalant attitude of some of the locals – “Oh, it’s probably just the beavers” – as if this was a normal encounter amongst the Canterbury residents.  

From extinction to re-establishment

Up until recently, beaver had been an extinct species in the UK – driven to extinction by hunting in the 16th century. However, beaver are now an established species in the river Stour and there could be up to 60 individuals currently in Kent, with sightings all the way from Sandwich to Ashford’s Conningbrook Lakes. 

Kent Wildlife Trust were the first organisation to introduce beavers back into Britain, paving the way for other conservationists to launch similar programmes and now wild beavers have established themselves throughout the country. From 1st October 2022, the European beaver finally became a protected species in England, following Scotland’s lead. This means that beavers have species-level protection, and requires a license to possess, and disturb and manage beavers and their lodges, burrows and dams. 

The role of beavers in the ecosystem

As keystone species, they play an important role in shaping the environment they live in. These “ecosystem engineers” build and environment that not only benefits them, but also other wildlife and people. For example, when beavers build dams, this slows and cleans the water. This means that, during periods of heavy rain, less water flows downstream, reducing flooding and creating wet woodlands and ponds. These new habitats also act as carbon sinks helping to slow climate change. Beaver also create new habitats that benefit other species, like invertebrates, and bats, as well as endangered species such as water vole. 

Many see beavers as a “nature based solution” to the current climate and nature crisis and to have this important and iconic species back in Kent is really something special.  

To learn more about the beavers of Kent, why not book one of our Wilder Kent safaris at Ham Fen or if you’re a school or other educational group, one of our Beavers of Kent workshops.