Tragic end to tale of beaver which escaped rewilding site
Setback for project which reintroduced rodent to Sussex
A search for a beaver which captured the hearts of many in Sussex when it escaped into the River Adur from a wildlife enclosure has ended in tragedy.
The beaver – nicknamed Bramber – went missing from a rewilding project at the Knepp Estate in West Grinstead in December.
And he gathered a public following after it was spotted many times swimming in the river – 400 years after beaver were last seen in Sussex.
But the Knepp estate has now announced ‘with great sadness and disappointment’ that Bramber died on January 13 shortly after being recaptured.
An autopsy report revealed the beaver died of septicaemia, probably caused by a bacterial infection contracted through ingesting contaminated food or vegetation in the days or weeks before his recapture.
A Knepp spokesman said: “Although this is a natural cause of death for many wild mammals, this is an unhappy end to Bramber’s great adventure.
“The hope is, however, that his legacy will live on having provided so many people who sighted him over the last few weeks with great joy, and a glimpse of a charismatic animal that has been missing from the Sussex countryside for over 400 years.”
Bramber – so-called after his first post-escape sighting near the village of Bramber on the River Adur – was one of two beavers from Scotland introduced into the Knepp rewilding project last November in partnership with the Sussex Wildlife Trust.
But Knepp said Bramber’s escape and that of a female beaver – named ‘Billie’ – showed that Knepp’s £45,000-worth of reinforced fencing and barriers across ditches, culverts and streams leading out of the project were unfortunately not enough to deter them from exploring.
Billie remains in captivity at Knepp pending relocation to a licensed beaver enclosure.
Meanwhile, the team at Knepp is planning adjustments to fencing with the aim of releasing another two beavers later this year.
Knepp owner Charlie
Burrell said: “It’s a setback but we hope we’re now wiser and more prepared and can welcome another pair of beavers to Knepp later this year.
“It’ll be amazing to see how they’ll transform our wetlands, improve biodiversity and protect property, farmland and building developments downstream from us from flooding.”
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