Conservationists are hopeful that two bonding beavers who were released into the wild earlier in 2026 could help to strengthen the population of the creatures.

The beavers, which live on the Holnicote Estate, Exmoor, Somerset, were captured on trail cameras grooming each other.

The semi-aquatic rodents were released in February as part of the National Trust's work to restore rivers, wetlands and floodplains on the 5,000-hectare site.