Scotland’s Beaver Reintroduction Brought to Life in 360° Film

If you’re looking to get knee-deep into the watery heart of Scotland’s beaver reintroduction (without actually getting wet!) then look no further than this short 360° film by Biome Productions.

Titled Beavers and Bagpipes, presenter Anthony De Unger takes you on a 360° journey through the recent efforts employed by the Scottish government to reintroduce the dam-building rodent.

“Possibly the UK’s greatest natural experiment”, the reintroduction involved “11,000 hours of fieldwork, 44 sq. km of wilderness and engaged millions of people worldwide”.

Beginning at the Wildwood trust in Kent, the film gives an overview of the species’ unique characteristics that have adapted them for a life on the water, before the beaver decides he’s sick of the camera and tries to give it a good soaking.

Beavers and Bagpipes then shoots back up to Scotland where De Unger joins Pete, head of Knapdale Forest Centre and local beaver expert, who details on the positive ecological effects that the reintroduction has generated.

From damselflies to frogs, and otters to herons, the flooding caused by beaver’s dams lends a helping hand to species across the board – whilst being a wildlife photographer’s best friend!

The reintroduction is, however, not without controversy: De Unger meets a farmer who expresses dismay at the dam construction, flooding his land and making crop growth more difficult.

But the benefits cannot be denied, and so the crew excitedly heads off in search of a wild beaver to call their (filmmaking) own. Setting up a VR camera and leaving a few tasty apples, the crew wait for a wildlife film first: up close VR 360° footage of a wild British beaver.

Check out the video yourself to see the beaver magic happen, and make sure to visit Biome Production’s website, Instagram, and Twitter for more!