THE public’s help is needed to help trace two beavers who escaped an enclosure near Beaminster in the run-up to Christmas.

The beavers, Woody and Twiggy, took advantage of the storms over winter to escape their enclosure on the Mapperton Estate, the team at the Mapperton Wildlands rewilding project said.

The pair, who are both four-year-old Eurasian beavers, have been living happily on the Mangerton River, but they made their great escape during the bad weather in the run-up to Christmas.

Now the public is being asked to keep their eyes open for signs of beaver activity near rivers and streams in the area.

The team at Mapperton suspects the errant pair may be hiding out either along the Mangerton, where a team will be carrying out a beaver hunt next week, or they could have migrated to the Brit or Symene rivers.

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Luke Montagu, Viscount Hinchingbrooke, whose family lives at Mapperton House, said they would be very grateful for help from people in spotting the animals or their traces.

“During the severe storms we had at the end of last year, the beaver enclosure at Mapperton was damaged by the sheer torrent of logs and stones that poured down the river, and Woody and Twiggy managed to escape,” he said.

The beavers escaped during the bad weather before Christmas Picture: Sam Rose www.samrose.uk

“As we haven’t seen them for a matter of months, it’s possible that they have wandered away from Mapperton, and we would very much like the public’s help in tracking them down by letting us know about signs of beaver activity.

“That could be trees that have been gnawed in the very distinctive way that beavers have, or perhaps evidence of young shoots having been eaten.

“They could be anywhere along local river systems and they might have found the River Brit particularly suitable as beaver habitat.

“There is no reason to suppose they have come to any harm, but they are lovely beavers and we miss them and would like to get them safely back home to their enclosure!”

Currently, beavers are not allowed to be released into the countryside, although the government is reviewing this policy.

Woody and Twiggy arrived at Mapperton in 2022 under license from Natural England.

“The pair also made a run for it two years ago after winter storms and enjoyed an extended excursion along the riverbank before being bribed to return with plentiful apples and parsnips,” a spokesperson said.

Anyone with any information about Woody and Twiggy is asked to email office@mapperton.com or call the Mapperton Estate office on 01308 862645.