SPCA: Orphaned beaver 'nursed back to health' in Scotland after being swept down river during storm

Turnip was just a couple of weeks old when he arrived at the Scottish SPCA rescue centre in Alloa in May last year.

He weighed just 860g at the time - less than a bag of sugar.

Over the following weeks and months, Turnip received intensive care and the team hand-reared him as he returned to health.

He was moved into a larger pen and fed a mix of items, including his favourite snack of sweet potato and carrots.

Slowly, as he progressed, he was also given larger water baths so he could begin swimming, with staff working hard to ensure the species’ natural behaviours were being encouraged.

After a six-month stint Turnip left the centre in November 2024, weighing an impressive 10kg, and headed to a new home at the Cornish Seal Sanctuary in Cornwall.

In an update, staff at the Scottish SPCA said he is “thriving” at the new centre and has been joined by female beaver Parsnip.

Parsnip spent a short time at Flamingo Land and Forestry England’s Cropton Forest enclosure before her arrival at the sanctuary.

Together, they said Turnip and Parsnip will have the opportunity to establish their own territories at the sanctuary.

Sean Meechan, Wildlife Operations Lead at the National Wildlife Rescue Centre, said: “We have had several injured beavers come to our National Wildlife Rescue Centre to undergo rehabilitation prior to release, but Turnip was the first infant we received and our team’s tireless efforts, hard work and care to rear him are rewarded with news that he is doing so well.”