Water voles to be reintroduced at Staffordshire estate

Endangered water voles are set to be reintroduced at a country estate.

The animals will be released at Trentham Estate, in Staffordshire, as part of a wildlife project to boost the UK's vole population.

Trentham is working with ecologist Derek Gow, who formed a team of specialists in water vole conservation.

Carol Adams, head of horticulture and biodiversity at Trentham, said it was "the perfect habitat to reintroduce water voles to".

"The area has excellent connectivity with other suitable habitats to enable the voles to naturally spread as their numbers increase both within the footprint of Trentham but also more broadly into this part of the River Trent catchment," she said.

From 13 to 20 June, with a team of expert ecologists and volunteers, Trentham will install temporary release pens for 200 water voles in 14 acres of the site with the hope they will establish a self-sustaining breeding population.

Nick Mott, river restoration manager at Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, said: "The Wildlife Trusts across the UK are working hard to save the water vole by improving riverbank habitats and being involved in water vole reintroduction schemes.

"We are proud to have worked alongside the team at Derek Gow Consultancy to assess the habitat and ensure a suitable environment for the reintroduction of water voles at Trentham and are looking forward to a hopefully successful project."

Water voles are protected in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and listed as endangered on both the Great Britain and the England Red List for Mammals.

Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [email protected]