But locals are speculating whether the first beaver to be spotted in the wild for centuries may in fact be an escape artist from a nearby nature reserve.

The river-dwelling rodent was discovered along the River Wensum at the Pensthorpe Natural Park, near Fakenham, with its origin currently unknown.

Until now, no free-living beaver had been recorded in Norfolk in modern times.

But a short distance away at wildlife site Sculthorpe Moor Nature Reserve, a pair of beavers were introduced in 2022 within an enclosure.

The site, managed by the Hawk and Owl Trust, is just three miles away upstream along the River Wensum from Pensthorpe.

The Sculthorpe Moor Nature Reserve (Image: Ian Burt)

Earlier this year, the Hawk and Owl........

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