Greedy beaver caught twice in monitoring trap

## Summary
Greedy beaver caught twice in monitoring trap Just now Share Save Jonny Manning North East and Cumbria Share Save National Trust The family of beavers was captured so it could be microchipped and monitored A greedy beaver's sweet tooth led to him being captured twice by rangers monitoring the animals' health. National Trust rangers spent two months trying to capture the family of beavers at Wallington, in Northumberland, using tasty fruit and veg to lure them into a humane trap. National Trust Beavers are nocturnal so the rangers leave the traps out overnight There are nine beavers in the enclosure but many of the kits were born at Wallington, meaning the team was keen to check on the health of the youngsters and fit them with microchips. National Trust The beavers are caught in metal traps which close behind them when they enter "We see them all on cameras but we wanted to be able to microchip them so we can identify them individually," said McDonald. "We only caught the two of them this time, so we'll try again from September - and by then we might have more kits from this summer." Follow BBC North East on X , Facebook , Nextdoor and Instagram .

## Article Content
Greedy beaver caught twice in monitoring trap
Just now
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Jonny Manning
North East and Cumbria
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National Trust
The family of beavers was captured so it could be microchipped and monitored
A greedy beaver's sweet tooth led to him being captured twice by rangers monitoring the animals' health.
National Trust rangers spent two months trying to capture the family of beavers at Wallington, in Northumberland, using tasty fruit and veg to lure them into a humane trap.
But after being caught and found to be in good health, the father of the family was captured again after he returned for more snacks.
"He seems to like going into the trap and getting all the parsnips," said lead ranger Helen McDonald.
The beavers were captured using four large traps, which shut behind the animals when they step on a treadle inside.
McDonald said the equipment was filled with food such as carrots and apples, but the beavers had a particular love of parsnips because of their sweetness.
National Trust
Beavers are nocturnal so the rangers leave the traps out overnight
There are nine beavers in the enclosure but many of the kits were born at Wallington, meaning the team was keen to check on the health of the youngsters and fit them with microchips.
Three of the kits were caught and all were found to be healthy.
The family of five beavers was first brought to the enclosure in Wallington from Tayside in Scotland in 2023.
One of the males -
nicknamed Steve McQueen
- was later rehomed as he kept escaping in order to search for mate.
Since her arrival the mother beaver has given birth twice - the first time to a single kit in 2024 and then to a litter of four last year.
National Trust
The beavers are caught in metal traps which close behind them when they enter
"We see them all on cameras but we wanted to be able to microchip them so we can identify them individually," said McDonald.
"We only caught the two of them this time, so we'll try again from September - and by then we might have more kits from this summer."
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More on this story
Steve the Great Escape beaver: Poster boy of wild England
First beaver born in Northumberland for 400 years
Related internet links
The National Trust - Wallington
Conservation
Wildlife
National Trust

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## Expert Analysis

### Merits
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### Areas for Consideration
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### Implications
- Greedy beaver caught twice in monitoring trap Just now Share Save Jonny Manning North East and Cumbria Share Save National Trust The family of beavers was captured so it could be microchipped and monitored A greedy beaver's sweet tooth led to him being captured twice by rangers monitoring the animals' health.
- But after being caught and found to be in good health, the father of the family was captured again after he returned for more snacks. "He seems to like going into the trap and getting all the parsnips," said lead ranger Helen McDonald.
- National Trust The beavers are caught in metal traps which close behind them when they enter "We see them all on cameras but we wanted to be able to microchip them so we can identify them individually," said McDonald. "We only caught the two of them this time, so we'll try again from September - and by then we might have more kits from this summer." Follow BBC North East on X , Facebook , Nextdoor and Instagram .

### Expert Commentary
This article covers beavers, national, trust topics. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 412.