Bold claim: wild beavers may be more widespread than we realise.
In your article, you cite the Beaver Trust noting sightings of wild beavers beyond Norfolk—in Kent, Hampshire, Somerset, Wiltshire, and Herefordshire. That same point resonates with a broader observation I can attest to from Berkshire. Living along the River Kennet, I captured a beaver on my garden trail camera in August, with otters appearing in the same 30-second clip. The beaver's unmistakable identity was confirmed by the Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust. Two weeks earlier, a neighbour reported a beaver on her garden trail camera. Her garden sits about 50 yards downstream from mine.
These two independent sightings, separated by three months, strongly suggest that beavers may be resident rather than transient visitors. While I’ve heard anecdotal reports of gnawing activity in the area, I cannot confirm it. There are beavers in captivity at Ewhurst Park about 10 miles away, and inquiries with them indicate no recent escapes.
All of this points to a possible wider distribution of wild beavers than anyone, including the Beaver Trust, realises.
