The first beavers born in the wild since their re-introduction to the UK last year were spotted last week, it was disclosed.
At least two young kits belonging to different family groups were seen in Knapdale Forest in Mid Argyll.
The animals, estimated to be eight weeks old, were taken to Scotland from Norway last year as part of the Scottish Beaver Trial.
Beavers were hunted to extinction in the UK 400 years ago, although some feral beavers are known to exist in the wild as a result of being released by people who owned them as pets.
“Seeing the trial’s new-born beaver kits was really amazing,” said Christian Robstad, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s beaver field officer.
“After weeks of patient observation, we were finally rewarded with not just one kit being spotted but a second kit from a different family group as well.
“The first emerged as part of a ‘family outing’ with its parents and older sister close by to offer additional protection.
“It kept close to the edge of the loch and called out to its family for reassurance while it began to learn to forage for food.”
The reintroduction is a partnership between the society and the Scottish Wildlife Trust.
Simon Jones, Scottish beaver trial project manager with the trust, said the kits marked a “fantastic step forward” for the trial.
He said: “There is a chance that even more kits have been born this year.
“We will be tracking our animals closely and hope to determine the exact number of kits produced as part of the trial soon.”
Beavers were a native species to the UK and were once common before they were hunted to extinction by man.
The trial aims to provide information which could determine whether or not animals are reintroduced into the wild across Scotland.
Scottish Environment Minister Roseanna Cunningham said: “It’s exciting to see these beavers thriving in Knapdale Forest and producing beaver kits so soon after their reintroduction.
“We were hoping that this would happen and I’m looking forward to watching the progress of the beaver families over the coming years.”
The kits are currently about the size of a large guinea pig and weigh about one pound at birth.