VIEWERS of the BBC’s recent Winterwatch were captivated by night footage of beavers captured with technology made in Southampton. Aerospace engineer Leonardo, based at the city’s First Avenue, was responsible for the thermal imaging camera which caught the animals in their natural habitat in Cornwall. The series charted the habits and survival instincts of a wide range of animals in winter. Winterwatch presenter Gillian Burke told viewers of the “superpowers” of beavers, whose strong build allows them to create dams that protect the local area from flooding. Researchers at Exeter University found that during peak flooding flow, the beavers reduced water flow in their immediate vicinity by 60 per cent.