In 2020, a pioneering conservation project began at Lowther – one of Cumbria Connect’s core nature restoration sites. A pair of Eurasian Beavers, Glen and Dragonfly, were introduced by the Cumbria Beaver Group to a carefully managed enclosure in a licensed, scientific release – one of only two such releases in the county.

Their arrival marked the return of this iconic species to Cumbria after 400 years of absence.

Since then, these industrious mammals have transformed their environment. What was once a relatively ordinary stretch of land has become a thriving wetland ecosystem, teeming with life including Bats, Greylag Geese and for the first time Lapwings successfully bred in the wet pasture below the beaver enclosure. 

The beavers’ dams have created new ponds, slowing the flow of water and improving its quality. Their canals have opened up new pathways for wildlife and their lodges have become bustling centres of family life.

Earlier this year, we celebrated the arrival of new Beaver kits!

This exciting development is a testament to the success of the project and the thriving ecosystem Glen and Dragonfly have created.

It’s thought that the kits were born in May or June this year, but Cumbria Beaver Group has waited for the young family to establish itself and to ensure the kits were thriving, before they released this footage of them, taken on camera traps.

Watch footage from our Beaver wildlife camera below to witness their remarkable story.