Water voles to be released into Nidderdale

Water Voles are believed to be one of the fastest declining mammals in Britain, losing 97 per cent of their former geographical range and are identified as a key species for conservation in the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Timble Ings Woods is owned and managed by Yorkshire Water and is a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation. Work carried out by the water company has kept watercourses free of tree coverage and allowed bankside vegetation to grow, making it ideal for water voles.

Lee Pitcher, head of partnerships at Yorkshire Water, said: “As Yorkshire’s second largest landowner we’re committed to ensuring our land protects the management of water, but also to benefits the environment by delivering exceptional land for the people of Yorkshire.

“One of the aims of our Land Strategy is to enable plants and wildlife to thrive on Yorkshire Water land.

“The work we’ve undertaken at Timble Ings Woods makes it a fantastic habitat for water voles and is important for the protection of this vulnerable species.”

The animals, which have been bred in captivity by Derek Gow Consultancy, will initially be held in large release pens to acclimatise to their new environment, before being released into the wild.

Kelly Harmar, biodiversity officer at Nidderdale AONB, said: “Water voles are in decline nationwide and recent surveys in the AONB revealed precious few populations of water vole on our local rivers.

“This introduction is a positive step at a site chosen to maximise their chances of survival. We hope the new arrivals will be very happy in their new home.”

Visitors to Timble Ings Woods are being warned that they should stay on the paths and keep dogs on a lead away from the ponds and watercourses as water vole populations are very sensitive to disturbance.

Yorkshire Water manages the collection, treatment and distribution of water in the region.