Beaver selfie caught on underwater camera hidden in Cairngorms National Park loch

A beaver ‘selfie’ has been caught on an underwater camera hidden in a loch in the Cairngorms.

Following the recent release of a beaver family at the Cairngorms National Park, staff set up an underwater camera in a bid to capture the elusive animals in their new habitat.

Since then, the camera has captured beavers passing by, with one swimming directly towards it and then knocking it over.

The footage comes as staff at the nature reserve continue their work reintroducing beavers into the wild.

There are now a total of 57 beavers in the upper Spey catchment area and one at Garmouth, with 18 kits in the National Park.

The arrival of the kits marked the first birth of wild beavers in Scotland in 400 years.

Beavers have been released in the Cairngorms Cairngorms

Currently there are six catchments where beavers have either been officially granted permission to remain or have been released.

Populations are already established in Tayside, on the Forth, in Knapdale, Loch Lomond and the Cairngorms National Park. Two releases have also recently been approved in the Beauly catchment.

Four groups are set to be released early next year.