On May 4, the Scottish Beaver Trial released into the wild a further two beavers (one male, one female) at a secret location in Knapdale Forest not far from Loch Melfort. In May 2009, 11 beavers were released and are thriving in their new home and it’s hoped that the new additions will quickly and easily adapt to their new home.

To help the beavers do this, the project team built two artificial lodges as temporary accommodation. Lodges take time to build and without adequate shelter, the beavers would be vulnerable. The interior of the lodge was baited with food and their bedding was laced with the beavers’ scent to encourage them to feel at home.

It will be interesting to see how the new pair settle in and what impact they have on the environment. The existing beavers have built their own lodges and evidence of beaver activity in the area is very noticeable with numerous tree stumps and felled trees. The effect of the beavers’ dams is quite dramatic. Since the beavers got to work, Dubh Loch has nearly doubled in size resulting in more habitat for wildlife such as frogs, dragonflies and water plants.

All of us here at Loch Melfort Hotel like to keep up with our furry neighbours’ activities and hope the new pair enjoy their new Scottish home.

For more up-to-date news visit the Scottish Beaver Trial website.