![\"Beaver](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1765616359_95_image.webp.webp\")
\nPhotography: Nick Upton Cornwall Wildlife Trust <\/p>\n
Calling all animal-loving Londoners! Soon you\u2019ll be able to spot more than just pigeons, seagulls and the odd rat in the capital, as a new rewilding project is bringing back two rare animal species to the city. The project is called Rewilding East London, and it\u2019s taking place in Eastbrookend Country Park in Dagenham.<\/p>\n
After going extinct as breeding birds in the 1400s due to overhunting and habitat loss, white storks are coming back to the capital \u2013 but that isn\u2019t all.\u00a0The Mayor of London-backed scheme will also reintroduce beavers to the area.<\/p>\n
White storks are distinguished by their lanky legs, monochrome feathers and large stature (standing up to 1.5m tall). The birds\u2019 return to the capital will be quite the occasion \u2013 and not just for bird-nerds. While white storks are native to the British Isles, up until now they have mostly been breeding across central and southern Europe.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Beavers aren\u2019t so\u00a0unheard of in London. The creatures, famed for\u00a0building dams and lodges all with their teeth, already feature at Paradise Fields in Ealing, which is the UK\u2019s only publicly accessible urban beaver site.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nPhotography: Nick Upton Cornwall Wildlife Trust
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The goal of Rewilding East London is to boost biodiversity and improve access to nature and green spaces in Dagenham. But how will these animals be looked after in the capital? Well, as well as restoring wetland habitats, the project will boast a purpose-built aviary \u2013 or in layman’s terms, a \u2018bird house\u2019 \u2013 for the storks (and hopefully their chicks). The beavers will stay in an accessible enclosure with two lakes, featuring natural woodland.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The project will be delivered in partnership with the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. Sam Davenport, Director of Nature Recovery at London Wildlife Trust, said: \u2018Reintroducing iconic flagship species like white storks and beavers will inspire communities to connect with nature and landowners to create more wetland habitats, in turn, benefiting other species.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018In this way, the reintroduction of white storks and beavers becomes a catalyst for wider ecological restoration, helping to build a greener, more resilient London for generations to come.\u2019<\/p>\n
In short, east London\u2019s wildlife-spotting scene is about to get a lot juicier. Londoners will be able to visit the storks from October 2026 at Eastbrookend Country Park in Dagenham, while the new beavers will be there from March 2027.<\/p>\n
Did you see that rare birds of prey are breeding in north London<\/a>?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n Plus:\u00a0St Paul’s Cathedral is getting a revamp<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke \u2013 from news and reviews to events and trends. Just\u00a0<\/strong>follow our Time Out London WhatsApp channel<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n