Water voles return for the first time in 20 years

"Charismatic" water voles have returned to local waterways for the first time in 20 years.

The reintroduction, led by the West of England Nature Partnership (WENP), in collaboration with Bristol Zoological Society, has seen the mammals re-establish along the Severn Shoreline Levels and Moors, of North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.

Their population was devastated by non-native American mink, which were brought to the UK for their fur.

Ecologist Eric Swithinbank, from the Avon Wildlife Trust (AWT), said the "charismatic" animals are "really important mini ecosystem engineers”.

As part of the reintroduction, conservationists have been reviving critical intertidal habitats, wetlands, and peatlands.

AWT has been monitoring the voles numbers and it said there is “a lot of evidence” of the species' return.

“It’s coming into winter now and they’re likely resting… but there’s good evidence with burrows and nibbled crops," Mr Swithinbank added.

Reeds and rushes are staple food for the mammals, which they leave at 45° angle, he said.

The project is part of the region’s broader Severn Shoreline restoration programme and has been supported by a £370,000 grant from the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority (WECA).

They maintain riverbanks and their burrows are used by other species, including bumble bees for nesting sites, he added.

The animals are also a vital food source for predators such as owls, so there are “lots of reasons to look after them,” he said.

Dan Norris, WECA's mayor, said: “The re-introduction of water voles is a very tangible and accessible project and hopefully one that will open the door for everyone in the west of England to get behind the Local Nature Recovery Strategy."

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