Only a limited number of people were present when beavers were released at Loch Lomond Last week. Here Stephen describes what it was like to have that privilege.
For the reserve team it was a mix of Christmas morning and your biggest school exams all at once. After almost a year of intense work a family of seven beavers was about to be released into RSPB Scotland’s Loch Lomond nature reserve.
The animals arrived at the release site in five crates. Mum, Dad, two yearlings and three kits.
The younger animals were released first. It took a while for them to emerge. They sniffed around the crates, bunching together at first. One animal even returned to the darkness of the crate for a while. Then they began to explore their new home, plopping into the burn in front of them.
One of the beaver kits soon after entering the water
When his crate was opened Dad ambled calmly across the short distance to the water before slipping in and heading away.
Finally, Mum was released. She made straight for the burn, disappearing under the water with an impressive slap of her tail. All that was left to see were a few bubbles.
The relief and excitement was clear on the faces of everyone who had worked so hard to make this happen.
Everyone there was buzzing after the release
In February 2022, RSPB Scotland took the decision to apply for a license to release beavers at Loch Lomond. That process has involved an enormous amount of assessment of habitat, engagement with local people and work with partner agencies.
The license was granted by NatureScot just before Christmas, and since then the team has been focused on bringing beavers here.
The family moved to the reserve had been causing problems in the area where they were living. They were trapped and held for as brief a period as possible in captivity for health checks.
The female is a beautiful dark brown almost black colour. It's known as melanistic and is caused by a recessive gene so is less common than being lighter brown.
The hope is that this relocation, only the third location in Scotland, will mean a better life for these animals in a habitat that offers them everything they need.
But it’s also thought that the beavers will help improve the site and the wider Loch Lomond National Nature reserve. They are natural engineers and their activity can create a more diverse, healthy ecosystem.
The release team packed up quickly, heading away from the burn for a well earned hot drink. Staff from RSPB Scotland, NatureScot, the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, Five Sisters Zoo and the Beaver Trust shared their favourite moments from the day.
One of the kits sniffs the waters' edge before taking the plunge
I was there to film the release. After conducting a few post-match interviews I had to head briefly back to the burn to gather up the small cameras we had put in place to capture the animals entering the water.
As I made my way along the edge of the burn I was startled by a loud splash just ahead of me. It was a beaver slapping its tail to warn the family of my approach. A natural behaviour of a wild animal in its new home. What a privilege to witness it.
You can watch a video that will take you behind the scenes here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooCQniFUAd4
Header photo: A beaver stands on its back legs sniffing the air. Behind it are two others and the crates they just came from.
The Beaver Trust