Beavers may get Lioness names

The National Trust is expecting football fans who enter its Twitter competition to name two newborn beaver kits after members of England’s Lionesses squad after their Euro 2022 win.

The kits join an elder sibling and were born on the Holnicote Estate in Somerset in the spring.

Ben Eardley, the estate’s project manager, said: “After Sunday’s historic victory, we’re anticipating… some Lioness-inspired name suggestions.”

Beaver populations are seen as a natural solution to the climate crisis as they build dams that regulate water flow, thus reducing the risk of flooding after heavy rain.

A network of ponds and channels at Holnicote has also created havens for grass snakes and bats and birds, such as sparrowhawks, grey wagtails, moorhens and kingfishers.

Otters also regularly visit the site, the National Trust said.*