Wild beavers of unknown origin have been living in the River Otter catchment since around 2008. Following the discovery of breeding in 2013, the government sanctioned the 5 year River Otter Beaver Trial to study their impacts on the river and develop a management strategy for human-beaver conflicts.   At the close of this 5 year trial in 2020 the government made the landmark decision that the beavers could remain in perpetuity and spread naturally into the adjacent catchments.  . In 2021 the River Otter beavers continue to be overseen by Devon Wildlife Trust. This means that a Beaver Officer is available to provide support to the community living with beavers. The tributaries of the River Otter rise in the Blackdown Hills, and it is likely that beavers will disperse from here  into adjacent river systems: the Culm, the Axe and the Tone. Therefore the river Otter BMG includes the Blackdown Hills AONB  so that the communities in these adjacent catchments can be made “beaver ready” in anticipation of the beavers’ inevitable arrival in the near future. They have kindly contributed towards the development of this website.