FAQ: When will you be able to see beavers?
The beavers were released into Knapdale Forest in May 2009 and the first few months are a crucial time. We will be working at the trial site to engage the local community as well as trying to inspire visitors and residents to support this exciting conservation project. We hope to see many people visiting the trial site over time, but the beavers do need some time to settle in.
Visitors will stand a better chance of seeing beaver signs, and maybe even some beavers, by waiting a few months until late summer of autumn 2009 to make their trip to the trial site. By timing your visit in the early morning or early evening, you will have the best chance of spotting these intriguing animals in the wild.
First and foremost, this is a scientific study of how the beavers cope naturally in the Scottish environment. Ensuring you cause the minimal amount of disturbance when you do come to visit the beavers will help our studies of natural beaver activity. We would ask visitors to follow the marked Beaver Trail (link coming soon) and keep a respectful distance from the creatures, as they would with any wild animal. Once disturbed, beavers return to their lodges and hide away
We wish to encourage visitors to the reserve and aim to provide a high quality visitor experience while, at the same time, giving the animals the opportunity to settle in with little disturbance. If restrictions become necessary we will discuss this closely with our reserve management partners, Forestry Commission Scotland.
