Trail-camera footage from the National Trust’s Holnicote Estate on Exmoor appears to show two wild beavers forming a bond which conservationists hope could lead to a new family.
The pair have been filmed together in the Somerset landscape, prompting speculation that they may eventually breed and help establish a growing wild population in the area.
The animals were released as part of a licensed National Trust project in February 2026, when a family group and a separate pair of Eurasian beavers were introduced at sites across the estate.
It followed the charity’s success in keeping beavers in enclosed areas at Holnicote since 2020. Natural England granted the licence after a change in policy allowed beavers to be released into the wild in England.
Conservationists say the footage is an encouraging sign that the pair are settling into their new surroundings. However, there has been no confirmation that the animals are expecting kits.
The National Trust hopes the reintroduction will help restore wetlands across the estate. Beaver dams slow the movement of water, reduce erosion and create habitats used by a wide range of wildlife, while also helping landscapes cope with flooding and drought.
Holnicote’s beavers have already transformed parts of the estate by building dams and creating ponds, wet woodland and other habitats. The latest footage suggests the animals may now be contributing to the next stage of the project: establishing a self-sustaining wild population on Exmoor.
