A family of wild beavers has been seen in England in the first sighting of its kind for up to 400 years, according to experts.
Three European beavers, believed to be adults, were filmed together on the River Otter in east Devon.
Experts said the sighting was highly significant as it strongly suggested a small breeding population of beavers now existed outside captivity.
This would be the first time for centuries that European beavers have been breeding in the wild in England.
In footage taken by night vision cameras with motion sensors, the beavers can be seen gnawing at trees and playing together.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is investigating the sighting.
"It is unlawful to release beavers in England - we are looking into this case and will consider what action to take," a DEFRA spokeswoman said.
She said she could not comment on whether the beavers could be removed from the site or destroyed.
Local retired scientist Tom Buckley noticed tree cutting action in the area in October last year.
Mr Buckley, along with landowner David Lawrence, installed three motion sensor cameras along a stretch of the River Otter to see if beavers were there.
In January, the cameras captured one beaver on Mr Lawrence's dairy farm.
"For me, there was a combination of amazement and a little bit of disbelief," Mr Buckley said.
"I had looked through hundreds of video clips and there was nothing at all of them.
"Then there was one beaver, I was a little bit taken aback."
European beavers were once widespread in the UK but were finally hunted to extinction in England and Wales during the 12th century, due to their highly valued fur, medicinal value and meat.
They disappeared from the rest of the UK 400 years later.
