Two baby Eurasian beavers born at Paradise Fields in Ealing need names chosen by London children aged four to 18, following the 2023 return of the species to the capital.
Young residents living anywhere in the capital have until December 7 to enter their ideas through a dedicated portal hosted by Citizen Zoo. The winning monikers for the newborn kits will be chosen by a panel representing the Ealing Beaver Project and the mayor of London’s office.
Beavers Breed in Ealing
The arrival of the new kits follows the 2023 release of a family of Eurasian beavers at Paradise Fields, Ealing, which brought the mammals back to urban London after an absence of more than four centuries. Conservationists point out that the animals have successfully established a breeding population inside one of Europe’s most densely populated cities.
Project backers report that the resident beavers have actively engineered their environment by constructing new wetland habitats, enhancing local water quality, and boosting the capacity of the area to handle both floods and droughts. The site itself remains entirely free to visit and welcomes the public around the clock.
Conservationists Praise Urban Coexistence
Experts behind the initiative emphasize that the newborn kits prove wildlife can thrive alongside human populations in major metropolitan areas.
“It has been incredible to watch the beavers thrive over the past three years. The arrival of two more kits this year demonstrates just how successfully these animals can coexist with people in the heart of urban London.”
Elliot Newton, Director of Rewilding at Citizen Zoo
Newton added that the project alters expectations regarding the scale of nature welcome in modern cities. Local children now regularly walk past a transformed setting on their way to school, turning ecological restoration into a routine part of daily life.
“Personally, I’m very excited to see what names the children come up with.”
Dr Sean McCormack, project’s lead
Organisers Launch Public Naming Contest
The urban rewilding initiative functions as a collaborative effort among several organizations. The managing partnership joins Citizen Zoo, the Ealing Wildlife Group, Friends of Horsenden Hill, and Ealing Council, operating with financial backing from the Mayor of London and support from The Beaver Trust.
Participants wishing to take part in the naming contest can submit their proposals online through the Citizen Zoo website ahead of the December deadline, marking a new chapter for a rewilding project that reintroduced the species to urban London in 2023.