Over the last few years, there have been increasing reports of beaver signs in Devon along the Rivers Exe and Taw. In 2023 (February to April), a beaver survey was commissioned by Natural England and conducted by a collaboration between Beaver Trust, the University of Exeter, and Devon Wildlife Trust. The survey aimed to understand the distribution and population size estimates of beavers in these river catchments.
The surveys were conducted by foot and canoe covering 260 km of channel length in total: 182 km on the Taw and 78 km on the Exe. A total of 418 beaver field signs were recorded, with cut wood being the most common. Across both catchments, beaver activity was fairly concentrated in the mid to lower-main river stems. Only three lodges and three burrows were found. Damming throughout the catchments was low, and only occurred in active territories.
Kernel density estimation analysis was conducted, along with expert knowledge of the survey area, to arrive at a final estimate of the number of beaver territories. The survey found six active beaver territories along the River Exe, with a population ranging from 14 to 25 individuals. In comparison, the survey recorded an estimated four active territories for the River Taw, with a population range of 10 to 22 individuals. The small size of the populations and being in the early establishment phase meant that very few management impacts were observed. These findings will be utilized to promote co-existence with beavers in the Exe and Taw catchments, understand their impacts, and develop a management strategy.