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Two beaver released into the wild on Exmoor earlier this year appear to have formed a close bond, conservationists have revealed.
The blossoming relationship has been captured on trail-camera footage from the National Trust's Holnicote Estate.
Newly released trail-camera footage shows the two large semi-aquatic rodents grooming each other and spending time together.
Conservationists say the video is proof of a growing social bond which could form the basis of a future family group.
The pair were released in February and are part of the second wild release on National Trust land – and the third in England – since last year.
Mathieu Burtschell, a National Trust ranger, said: "Seeing these two beavers together on the trail camera is really exciting.
"When the animals were released, we hoped they would explore the landscape, establish territories and begin forming the relationships that are so important to a healthy beaver population.
"The fact that they have paired up is a good indication that they have found the right conditions at Holnicote, with enough suitable habitat, food and space to establish a territory together."
Beavers had previously been introduced to Holnicote Estate but were kept within enclosures.
Their reintroduction to Exmoor is part of a wider project to reduce flooding in the region.
Mr Burtschell added: "They are largely active at night, so trail cameras give us a valuable window into what they are doing when we are not there.
"If the pair remains together, they could eventually establish their own family group and help strengthen the beaver population across the estate."
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Beavers live in small familial units and typically form monogamous bonds with a mate for life.
Described by the National Trust as "engineers", the wild animals build dams, canals and wetlands.
These can create new habitats for wildlife while helping water remain in the landscape for longer.
"These ecosystem engineers play a vital role in slowing water flow, creating and holding wetland habitats, reducing erosion [and] improving water quality," National Trust project manager Ben Eardley previously said.
The beavers are being monitored to understand how they settle, move through the catchment and shape the surrounding habitat.
In February 2025, Natural England allowed the license release of beavers into the wild for projects which "demonstrate clear benefits".
Since the change, beavers have been wild released into Purbeck, Dorset, the Holnicote Estate, and the Par and Fowey river catchments in Cornwall.
Cornwall's beaver release projects spans 10-years, with plans to release up to 15 pairs of beavers across the catchment area.
