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Sad news from our beaver project

A photo of Beryl the beaver when she was first released into the enclosure. PHOTO BY CHRIS PARKES PHOTOGRAPHY

We are deeply sad to report that Beryl, our female beaver, escaped from her enclosure on Sunday night and has been found dead.

Following the extremely heavy overnight rain on Sunday morning and the resulting current of the river, our teams arrived on Sunday morning to find a lot of damage to the beaver enclosure fence.

Repairs were carried out on Sunday when water levels dropped to a safe level but unfortunately there was more damage below the water line which allowed both beavers to escape through at some point on Sunday night. 

The team have identified where Brian, our male beaver, has found refuge and they are currently working to capture him and bring him back to a safe location. 

But sadly we think that Beryl made her way to the Forder Valley Nature Reserve and was hit by a car on Forder Valley Road at around 3.30am.

We continue to work with the expert team of advisors who have guided the project from its inception and will now take some time to review the situation and decide what is best for Brian going forward.

We are all really upset and we know that many residents who have been following Brian and Beryl's progress will be equally distressed about this news.