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Professional help is paramount for water voles, when you consider that they have suffered a national decline of over 89% in the last century, and there are many factors attributed to its demise.
Pollution of the waterways, persecution and rat issues, habitat loss and degradation, population fragmentation, increased urbanisation, predation and most significantly the MINK! (Strachan, 1998)
This is where Shepreth Wildlife Park can help conserve this species and the local habitat at the same time i.e. the River Shep. Staff can aid habitat restoration, raise awareness to park visitors and conduct surveys on the bordering rivers.
The River Shep currently hosts abundant bramble, scrub and overhanging branches which shades new growth preventing marginal vegetation from flourishing, essential for water vole activity. Bank erosion is also a problem in this area. Therefore, we can aid the work FORS does on the River Shep (Shepreth based group established to preserve the river - headed by Cambridge ecologist - Rob Mungovan) by planting marginal vegetation, removing ivy, bramble and overhang, moving fences to protect bank space and monitor species levels all on our grounds which border the river.
The park utilises volunteers to conduct on-going surveys on and off-site and the data is then used to highlight this species plight as well as sending it on to the local Wildlife Trust to aid their work.
Nationwide this species has received an on-going increase in support over the years. Strategies in place aim to restore the species to its former 1970 state (BAP target by 2010) in regions were it is extinct through large scale re-introductions, by recreating well-vegetated wetland ecosystems.
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