Bedw the beaver was the first female beaver to return to the Dyfi Valley for 400 years.

However Bedw was put down in May after sustaining ‘substantial injuries’ whilst at Cors Dyfi Reserve and Observatory at Dyfi Wildlife Centre near Machynlleth.

The post-mortem results released on 10 September revealed several injuries, some of which were infected.

Thanks to the enclosure, the Centre said it can ‘rule out other animals’ as the cause, suggesting the injuries may have come from within the family.

Bedw was rehomed from Scotland in 2021 with her mate Barti and son Byrti, producing another kit at the reserve.

The injuries could have resulted from her trying to move the older offspring on, and the offspring standing their ground.

A spokesperson explained: “The post-mortem found that Bedw had very little body fat, which is unusual for an adult.

“This shows that Bedw would have been a slightly weaker animal compared with her offspring and obtained injuries as a result.

“We also do not know how old Bedw was, and she could have been an elderly animal.

“Beavers live until around 10 years and Bedw would have been three or four years old when she first arrived.

“The remaining beavers are all well.”