We are delighted to welcome a new female beaver named Parsnip, who is ready to establish her own territory and begin an exciting new chapter alongside Turnip, our male beaver, who has been eagerly awaiting her arrival!
Parsnip, who is around two years old, came to us from Forestry England’s Cropton Forest enclosure. She also spent a short period at Flamingo Land, where she earned the brilliant nickname Dam Chewdy Dench, before joining the Sanctuary. Her move has been carefully planned with the guidance of the Beaver Trust studbook to ensure a responsible and compatible pairing because when it comes to beaver matchmaking, we take it very seriously!
Parsnip will be joining Turnip, who has been at the Sanctuary since last year. Turnip himself was a hand-reared orphan rescued by the SSPCA in Scotland and has been thriving here at the Sanctuary ever since. Together, Turnip and Parsnip will have the opportunity to establish their own territories and continue our important work in caring for orphaned beaver kits.
“Hand-rearing a kit is a rare and delicate responsibility, and our priority for any beaver is always their long-term wellbeing,” said Dr Roisin Campbell-Palmer, Head of Restoration at Beaver Trust. “Seeing these young beavers pair up and display all the natural behaviours we hope for is a huge success, and one made possible through positive collaboration across multiple organisations, and we’re very pleased to have been part of it.”
The gorgeous new kit has spent a short period in our Beaver Nursery acclimatising to her new surroundings and getting used to the sights, sounds, and smells of her new Cornish home. Now she’s settled, she’ll move to the sanctuary’s four-acre beaver enclosure, where she and Turnip can explore, build, and bond.
“This is an exciting moment for our Sanctuary,” said Grace Jones, Conservation Coordinator at the Cornish Seal Sanctuary “Thanks to the support of our partners, Parsnip can now start her life with a compatible companion, and we look forward to watching these two beavers settle into their new home.”
We would like to extend our thanks to all organisations involved in Parsnip’s journey, including the SSPCA, Forestry England, Flamingo Land, and the Beaver Trust, whose collaboration has made this move possible.
We would also like to send a heartfelt thank you to a good Samaritan in a passing recovery vehicle, who assisted the team when our van experienced mechanical issues whilst transporting the very precious cargo into Cornwall. The hero carefully towed the van for the last leg of the journey to the Sanctuary, ensuring the safe arrival of Parsnip!
