Cornwall LivingIssue #111
Welcome to Gweek
The Cornish Seal Sanctuary team is incredibly excited to welcome three baby beavers to their site by the Helford river.
Taking place in the large woodland area of the Cornish Seal Sanctuary, the Secret Creek project has welcomed three baby beavers – Twiggy, Barbara and Norbert. Conservationists and beaver re-wilding campaigners across Britain are currently trialling many projects, re-introducing once- native beavers into managed environments to study their impact on nature.
Beavers are known as a ‘keystone species’. This is because their natural behaviour has a big impact on our landscape and wildlife. By damming waterways, beavers pool water, slowing the flow in rivers and streams. This water floods an area, creating new wetland and attracting wildlife, providing a home and water source for many species.
As wildlife conservation is at the heart of all the sanctuary’s efforts, the sanctuary decided to pair up with several conservation groups across the country to determine the best use of the large woodland area at the sanctuary. It was quickly decided that beavers would make an excellent addition to the sanctuary, providing them with the perfect habitat which will in return open doors for research to further study their impact on the environment.
The sanctuary are planning various research projects to understand more about beaver behaviour in the wild and how they impact the environment they inhabit. It is known that their presence is beneficial and may even help to combat climate change.
Beavers are very secretive creatures, mostly active during the night, which makes it difficult for the public to engage with these mammals. The aim of the ‘Secret Creek’ area at the Cornish Seal Sanctuary is to provide engaging educational content for visitors to learn about these enigmatic animals. Returning guests will see landscape changes happening over time, while there is always the possibility to catch a glimpse of the beavers hard at work.
These three were given a second chance, and this is just the beginning of their story. Now, to help them provide expert care to the rescued beavers, carry out the vital ecological projects and introduce an exciting visitor centre, the sanctuary team need your help. Any donation big or small will go such a long way to help support this amazing new adventure, that will benefit so many for the future.
DID YOU KNOW?
Wild beavers lived in Great Britain over 400 years ago before going extinct. They were mainly hunted for their fur and glandular oil, secreted from the base of their tail, thought to contain medicinal properties.
The Cornish Seal Sanctuary
01326 221361
