After a 500-year absence from Lancashire, four European beavers are being released at WWT Martin Mere on Wednesday, July 11.

Beavers, the world's second largest rodent, are one of nature's engineers excavating canals and building dams and lodges of branch and earth. The display at Martin Mere will be the only attraction in the North-west where visitors can watch beavers in their natural habitat.

Centre Manager, Andy Wooldridge, said: "This is something completely new to Martin Mere and the region. Martin Mere has always been a waterfowl attraction with lots of birds, but introducing aquatic mammals will be the first step to diversifying more into a wetland attraction. We are all looking forward to a very busy summer once the beavers have been released."

Two males and two female beavers will be resident at the Centre. They have come over from Bavaria in Germany and have spent six months in quarantine in Devon.

Entirely vegetarian, the beavers will be fed everyday on root vegetables, leaves and fruit allowing visitors the opportunity to see the creatures over the summer holidays.

They will be released into a large enclosure next to the Eco-garden and a viewing lodge has been constructed to ensure the animals can not be disturbed whilst being watched.

  • WWT Martin Mere is open every day from 9.30am to 5.30pm and parking is free of charge. Situated off the A59, it is signposted from the M61, M58 and M6. The centre is also accessible via the Southport to Manchester and the Liverpool to Preston line by train from Burscough Rail Stations. Visit the web site www.wwt.org.uk/visit/martinmere to find out what's on all year round at Martin Mere and the other eight centres.