For the first time in 50 years, the highest freshwater lake in England will enjoy little creatures called water voles again. Something special is happening today as around 100 water voles will be reintroduced to the National Trust estate in the Yorkshire dales. Knowing that the water vole is Britain’s fastest-declining mammal, this animal was once found in nearly every waterway in England, Scotland and Wales, but is now thought to have been lost in up to 90% of these sites, clinging on in isolated pockets, coastal marshes and backwaters.
Many factors played a role in the decline of this species, including pollution, poor riverside management, and the spread of the American mink. These animals have established themselves on the waterways after escaping from fur farms, and they prey voraciously on the water vole.
The Guardian mentioned that “the Malham voles have been bred in captivity by a specialist agency and will be released over five days into the fen area of the tarn, which is unique for its flora, fauna and geology, adding that “It is hoped the animals will recolonise the tarn and its surrounding streams, and play an important part in the ecosystem, grazing and burrowing into areas of the riverbank and allowing rare plants to grow, including mosses and liverworts that need patches of open habitat. The water voles will also act as a food source for predators such as barn owls and otters”.
Roisin Black, a National Trust ranger at Malham tarn, said: “In the rest of Europe, water voles are common. In Britain, the creatures are incredibly rare. We know water voles have thrived at Malham tarn in the past and, thanks to work by the National Trust, the habitat here is perfect for water voles again.”
Monitoring is extremely important to protect such endangered species, so rangers will monitor the health of the population, with a view to releasing a further 100 water voles in June next year.
