Croydon could soon be home to some very unusual new residents, with plans being explored to introduce a family of beavers to South Norwood Country Park as part of a rewilding project.
The proposals backed by Croydon Council’s Executive Mayor, Jason Perry, would see the beavers introduced to the park to help enhance wildlife habitats, improve water quality and support a healthier natural environment.
The Council is working in partnership with Citizen Zoo, who are urban rewilding experts, and are enthusiastic about the potential of the site. Citizen Zoo, alongside partners at the Ealing Beaver Project, were behind the introduction of London’s first openly accessible urban beaver population in Ealing.
Beavers are ecosystem engineers, building dams and creating wetlands which improves water quality, reduces flooding, and boosts biodiversity for fish, insects, birds, and other mammals.
Investment in and improvements to the borough’s parks is one of the Executive Mayor’s priorities to make Croydon cleaner, safer and healthier.
Before the beavers set foot, or paw, in Croydon, Citizen Zoo have put forward funding and begun an in-depth feasibility study to determine whether the habitat is suitable. Should the project go ahead in full, additional funding will need to be secured and licences for the introduction will need approval from Natural England.
A public consultation will take place in February to understand what residents think of the idea and answer any questions. This will include a questionnaire, community talks and local nature walks.
If the project goes ahead, the beavers will be inside a secure enclosure, the largest in London, which will be fully accessible to residents including local dog walkers. Alongside the new enclosure, the visitor centre would be rebuilt fulfilling Mayor Perry’s commitment to restore the vandalised building to its former use as a nature education centre.
Beavers were once common across Britain and London but were hunted to extinction for their fur and meat centuries ago. Beavers naturally fell some trees as part of how they shape healthier wetlands, and that activity can bring real benefits.
Opening up small areas of canopy lets more light reach the ground, encouraging a richer mix of plants to grow and creating better habitat for a wider range of wildlife. In urban landscapes, this can be carefully managed: priority trees can be protected, beaver activity can be guided to the right areas, and the overall impact can be balanced to support a more diverse, thriving ecosystem.
“The introduction of beavers in South Norwood Country Park would benefit local wildlife and be a massive boost for the borough.
“It would support the park’s biodiversity, and residents and tourists will benefit from investment in a revitalised visitors’ centre. This is yet another example of what I am doing to protect and improve our wonderful parks and green spaces.
“I look forward to hearing what residents think about these exciting proposals, which will bring new neighbours and very welcome investment to South Norwood Country Park.”
Jason Perry, Executive Mayor of Croydon
“Following the success of the Ealing Beaver Project, we have been eager to identify new sites where these incredible ecosystem engineers can demonstrate the vast benefits they bring — from boosting biodiversity and cleaning our waterways to mitigating the impacts of climate change.
“Upon visiting South Norwood Country Park, we were immediately struck by its potential; the site bears a remarkable resemblance to Paradise Fields, and we see a unique opportunity to strengthen ecological resilience whilst deeply engaging the local community. We are thrilled to be progressing this project and look forward to seeing its potential positive impact in the years to come.”
Elliot Newton, Director of Rewilding at Citizen Zoo
