Beavers build first wild lodge in over 400 years

The Scottish Beaver Trust has revealed that the first beaver lodge to be constructed in the wild for over 400 years has now been built. Three beaver families were released into Knapdale Forest(Mid-Argyll0 in May, the first-ever formal reintroduction of a native mammal in the UK.

SBT Project Manager Simon Jones (who found the lodge0 said:

We are thrilled to see that one of our beaver families has now constructed their own lodge. This is a fantastic sign that these beavers have settled into the area. They are following their instincts and acting as beavers naturally do. Until now our beaver families have been using burrows along the sides of their release lochs.

Our first lodge is an impressive structure, measuring 5 metres long by 2 metres high by 7 metres wide (5x2x7m) in size. Beavers build lodges to shelter in during the day. This provides them with warmth and protection. The lodges usually consist of two chambers, accessed from the loch by an underwater passage. The first chamber is where the beavers spend a few minutes drying off before moving into the large chamber, which is extremely dry and cosy.

A spokesperson for Forestry Commission Scotland said:

The lodge fits in really well with its surroundings and has been built in a secluded part of the forest.

There are no designated trails or paths to the site so we would ask people to not try to visit the lodge as any attempts to do so would only disturb the beavers and other wildlife and habitats in the area.

To find out more about the project click here.