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“I can hear one over there…it’s munching on some vegetation. There are so many signs of their activity along the river…look at these footprints and burrows in the banks.” says Alice Chapman, Conservation Officer for The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales, whilst conducting a Water Vole survey along the river.

The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales (WTSWW), South East Wales Rivers Trust (SEWRT), Initiative for Nature Conservation Cymru (INCC), Natural Resources Wales (NRW), and Vale of Glamorgan Council’s Restore the Thaw Landscape project, with local landowners, are working together to bring Water Voles back to the Vale of Glamorgan.

This survey follows a release of 200 captive bred Water Voles in August last year, marking their return to River Thaw after a 20-year absence. Although elusive animals, there are plenty of signs that they are doing well and have spread out from their original release site along the Thaw.

A further 140 Water Voles, bred at NRW’s hatchery in Cynrig and Keep It Wild Trust's facility in Devon, have been released in the River Thaw catchment this month.

“I’m really pleased that the Water Voles we are breeding here are being released onto their new home on the River Thaw as the habitat is excellent. There are lots of good sites like this in Wales which would really benefit from having Water Voles.” said Richard Davies, who is responsible for the Water Vole breeding programme at NRW.

The Water Voles spent a few days acclimatising to their new environment in temporary pens before being released. The hope is that these voles will reinforce the existing population and expand their range along the river.

“Water Voles face many challenges and so it’s unlikely they would naturally recolonise the river, meaning a reintroduction of captive bred individuals was essential for their recovery.” said Rob Parry, Chief Executive Officer at INCC.

Water Voles are declining at an alarming rate across the UK - 90% in the past 30 years. Predation from invasive American Mink, habitat degradation as well as pollution are putting them at risk of extinction in Wales.

Extensive work has been undertaken to improve the habitat and eradicate American Mink ready for the release.

 “We’ve worked closely with landowners to ensure the Water Voles have plenty of food and shelter to thrive in the wild. This reintroduction wouldn’t have been possible without their support.” said Alyssia Thomas, SEWRT Project Officer.

Following training sessions delivered by the project last year, a team of volunteers have been helping to monitor the waterway to see how far the population has spread.

“Volunteers are a crucial part of the project, looking out for burrows, footprints, feeding stations and latrines – all signs that we have a growing population of Water Voles along the Thaw.” said Melanie Stewart, Restore the Thaw Project Manager.

Water Voles play an important role in river ecosystems. Their reintroduction will not only benefit predators like otters, herons and birds of prey but their burrowing will help to improve plant diversity on the riverbanks, boosting biodiversity in the wider area.

Alice Chapman continued, “It’s rewarding to see these fantastic animals back on the Thaw, not just surviving but thriving, which is testament to the hard work of everyone involved in the partnership.”