THE WATER VOLE

An integral part of our ecosystem

The water vole has been on the brink of extinction for many years, but a

ten-year study by The Wildlife Trusts found that numbers have plummeted by 30 per cent in the past 13 years. From one million in 1995, there are now 132,000. And, while that figure may seem substantial, the fact that it has been lost from 94 per cent of places where it was once common makes it the UK’S most rapidly declining mammal. Wetland drainage, intensive farming and habitat loss have played their part, but the introduction of the American mink for fur farming signalled the death knell. By the mid-20th century, mink were widespread, owing to escapes and deliberate releases, and water voles are their preferred diet.

Action Farmers need to provide buffer strips along riverbanks for shelter, feeding and digging burrows. You can adopt a water vole or become a Wildlife Trust volunteer at wildlifetrusts.org.

Why we must save them They are an essential part of our ecosystem. Expert Darren Tansley of the Essex Wildlife Trust says, “Water voles matter, not only for our own enjoyment of seeing these animals in the wild, but also for the benefit of a fully functioning, natural web of habitats and species supporting each other.”

Cause for hope Mink are preyed on by otters, which are increasing in numbers.