It is six months since the first beavers to live in Wales for several centuries were reintroduced to a nature reserve near Machynlleth.

The beaver family have been living at the Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust’s Cors Dyfi Nature Reserve as part of a habitat management project.

READ MORE: Iolo Williams hails return of beavers to Dyfi estuary

The father and son were released into their new home by the TV presenter and naturalist, Iolo Williams, on March 26, with the mother beaver arriving a fortnight later.

The beavers were originally from Scotland. They live in a seven-acre enclosure, which contains three ponds and lots of willow.

Beavers can provide many benefits and have roles to play in restoring the lowland peat bog at Cors Dyfi. The mammal is a gifted natural engineer, able to construct dams. 

Although this project is not a reintroduction to the wild, the Welsh Beaver Project hopes it will demonstrate how the animal's natural activity can actively support habitat restoration.  

Meanwhile, in Scotland, the number of beavers has more than doubled in the last three years. The natural environment agency, NatureScot, said there are now around 1,000 of the animals living in the wild. 

Legislation was introduced two years ago to make beavers a protected species in Scotland, meaning it is illegal to kill or disturb them.

In England, they have been released within enclosed river sections, as well as by individual nature conservationists such as Derek Gow. 

If you value The National's journalism, help grow our team of reporters by becoming a subscriber.