Rare water voles get a helping hand
AN EFFORT to protect the rare water vole in Wales received a boost recently after a survey indicated a healthy population had survived the winter at a nature reserve near Newport.
Conservationists from Gwent Wildlife Trust’s (GWT) water vole project undertook their spring survey of the water vole population at Magor Marsh in the Gwent Levels last week.
They found many signs of water vole activity among the green habitats including feeding remnants, burrows and footprints.
The recordings suggest a promising number of water voles have survived the colder months – a period known for its high death rate for the mammal.
Alice Rees, conservation officer at Gwent Wildlife Trust, has been leading the water vole reintroduction project since 2014.
She said: “It’s really important that we survey the water vole population at this time, to find out how well the population have survived the winter, when food supply is scarce and its many predators are hungry.”
Volunteers from Associated British Ports (ABP) in Cardiff and Newport helped with the survey at the Gwent Levels following a recent £3,000 donation to assist the conservation charity’s work. It was a chance for some of its employees to see the impact of that support and to get their hands dirty helping out on the ground.
Alice added: “We talked about the importance of being able to distinguish between a rat and a water vole and why we need to protect this iconic British mammal and keystone species.
“The interest and enthusiasm of the team was so encouraging to me, and we’re delighted that they’re going to share what they’ve learned amongst colleagues.”
The water vole, which is a protected species in the UK, has seen a 90% decline in its numbers during the past 50 years.
Loss of habitat and an increase in predators has led it to become Britain’s fastest declining wild mammal.
Liga Karklina, one of the ABP volunteers, caught a rare glimpse of a water vole on the day.
“I was just moving my hand to look closer at a burrow when it scurried right past my hand and plopped into the water,” she said.
“I was so pleased to have caught a glimpse of one, as I’ve never seen a water vole before.”