Photo by Francesco Ungaro on Unsplash (illustrative)
On 5 March 2025, the National Trust announced England's first official release of wild beavers, two pairs set free at Purbeck in Dorset. It followed the UK government's decision on 28 February 2025 to allow licensed wild releases of Eurasian beavers, which were hunted to extinction in England about 400 years ago.
Key facts
Natural England now licenses wild releases, and each new project needs a 10-year management plan.
Until 2025, licensed beaver projects in England used fenced enclosures, apart from one limited wild trial in Devon.
On 7 February 2026, Natural England approved two more wild release projects in South West England.
Natural England has identified 32 projects that could meet the release criteria, and 11 have been invited to apply.
Why it matters
Beavers build dams that create natural flood defenses, improve water quality and form wetlands where many other species thrive. Their return gives England a living tool for restoring rivers and making landscapes more resilient to floods and drought.
Worth noting
Beavers can affect farmland and infrastructure, which is why the new system licenses each release and requires long-term management plans. The number of wild beavers released so far is still small.