Members of the 3rd Alton Beaver Scouts Kestrel Colony helped name the first beavers born in Hampshire for 400 years.

The first beavers born in the county since the 1600s have been officially named Bobby and Barry by the Beavers and Year 5 pupils from St Gabriel’s School in Newbury.

These two baby beavers, called kits, were born this summer in an enclosure at Ewhurst Park in Hampshire and their names were chosen as part of a competition run by the 925-acre estate.

The winning children were presented with a trophy by Stanley Johnson, a former Member of the European Parliament (MEP), author and environmentalist, during a tour of the beaver enclosure.

Mr Johnson said: “As the former MEP for East Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, I am absolutely delighted to be here today for this wonderful beaver naming event.

“I want to congratulate all those who took part in the beaver naming competition - including, of course, the winners - and the beavers themselves.”

The naming ceremony marked the end of a week of educational activities run by Ewhurst Park in which children from across the county had the opportunity to visit the park.

They learned about beaver ecology, toured the beaver enclosure and made bug hotels that will provide vital habitat for insects as part of the park’s nature restoration project.

Ewhurst Park director Mandy Lieu said: “Education and outreach are essential to our ethos here at Ewhurst Park.

“We love to welcome children on site and are delighted to be engaging the next generation with the wonderful world of beavers and the importance of connecting with nature.”

Debbie Tann, chief executive of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, said: “The arrival of two kits at Ewhurst Park is a remarkable and heartwarming milestone for Hampshire’s natural environment.

“This naming competition offers a wonderful opportunity for the community to connect with these incredible animals and witness first hand the positive impact they bring to our natural world.

“As we welcome this new generation, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust will continue to strongly and actively advocate for the managed wild release of beavers, where they play a vital role in stimulating nature’s recovery, enhancing biodiversity, restoring habitats and building resilient ecosystems.”

Eva Bishop, head of education at the Beaver Trust, said: "The expansion of this family unit shows these beavers are well settled.

“Kits tend to stay with their family group until around two years old, developing the skills they need for life by learning alongside their parents, so Bobby and Barry have plenty of time to inspire a love of nature among local children.

“It is so important to the species' return that opportunities like this help address our cultural appreciation of beavers and the natural world."

Ewhurst Park continues to publish the latest updates from Bobby, Barry and their parents on its social media channels, including footage from wildlife cameras that has so far shown them moving around their enclosure, eating plant material and starting to learn how to gnaw and fell trees.