name the Martin Mere beavers, win Bill's autograph
18/10/2007 00:00 GMT

Posted by lisa

The following article comes from http://www.champnews.com/html/newsstory.asp?id=6159.  It mentions Autumnwatch, which returns to BBC Two on November 5th - the show's official page at http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/animals/wildbritain/autumnwatch/ tells how UK residents can participate in the Autumnwatch survey.



Thursday, October 18, 2007
 
Name our famous beavers
 
ChampNews readers are being given the exclusive chance to name Martin Mere wildfowl centre's two adult beavers.

The rodents, who were brought to the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust site in July, will be featured in the BBC2 series Autumnwatch that will be based at Martin Mere.

Presenters Bill Oddie and Kate Humble will give daily, sunrise-to-sunset reports from the mere for two weeks, starting on Monday November 5.

"This competition is very unique as we the only location in the North West that has a beaver exhibit so the winners will be the only people in the region that will have a direct association with these animals," centre manager Andy Wooldridge said.

"The beavers have been extinct in this area for 500 years but have settled in really well since releasing them in July and we are very pleased with the way they are adapting their enclosure.  This is a once in a lifetime competition and I would like to wish luck to everyone who enters."

As the beavers are new to the centre they were not featured on the series last year that was also based at the centre, off the A59.

They were captured from the wild in Germany and have two babies, called 'kits', who are 18 months old.
The youngsters will be moved to Slimbridge WWT centre in Gloucester when the adults breed again, so are not being named.

All four have been busy since they arrived at the mere.  They have dug a 5ft channel connecting the two ponds in their pen, felled several trees and dug at least two burrows, complete with chambers for sleeping, eating and drying off.

The winners whose names are chosen for the beavers, and a guest, will be invited to a special evening to see the beavers and be given a cuddly beaver toy and a book signed by Bill and Kate.

Send your entries to: Beaver competition, Editorial Dept, Champion Newspapers, 166 Lord Street, Southport PR9 0QA.
Please include your name, address and a daytime phone number.  Deadline is Friday, October 26.