u/Rickcroc

>An unexpected population of wild beavers has been found.

>Nature recovery programme Cumbria Connect said it could confirm rumours of the animals being spotted in and around the River Lowther in Eden - the first wild population of the semi-aquatic rodent in the county.

>Natural England said they were a protected wild population under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations, meaning it was illegal to capture, harm, or disturb them.

>Cumbria Connect said it was not involved in the release of the animals and suspected their release was illegal - which it did not "support".

>Programme manager Martin Varley said: "We now need to focus on how we manage this situation responsibly and collaboratively.

>"We do not support illegal wildlife releases and believes species recovery must take place through responsible, licensed and transparent processes."

>The programme said it had already been aware of the population, but did not publicise its presence to reduce the risk of the beavers being disturbed by the public.

>However, tracks left behind by the animals and an increased number of sightings had made it "appropriate" to confirm their existence.

>Beavers are native to Britain but were wiped out in the 16th Century, mainly due to hunting, according to the Cumbria Wildlife Trust.

>They first returned to the UK in the early 2000s, but were only allowed to be kept in enclosed spaces in England until last year - when beavers were first released into the wild again.