Over 200 captive-bred water voles were recently released at an undisclosed location near Haweswater in Cumbria. This endeavor is part of a concerted effort to reestablish a robust population of the endangered water voles in the region. Conservationists and volunteers carefully transported these semi-aquatic creatures to their new habitat using temporary soft-release pens, allowing them a brief period to acclimate. A small group of the older voles were directly released into the water.
Water voles have faced a significant decline in recent decades, despite once being widespread throughout the UK. This initiative marks the first attempt to reintroduce them in the Lake District. Volunteers will monitor the pens in the coming days, eventually removing them once the voles have settled into their own burrows. This release represents the culmination of a two-year project aimed at restoring the river valley in Haweswater Reserve, managed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and United Utilities.
Over the past century, the water vole population in the UK has plummeted from an estimated eight million to around 132,000, with the species vanishing from 94% of its former habitats. A key aspect of the conservation efforts in Haweswater has been managing the population of American mink, which were originally introduced to Britain in the 1920s for fur farming. This initiative stands as a beacon of hope for the recovery of this endangered species in the region and underscores the importance of habitat restoration and protection.