New maps reveal Ratty's return
18 June 2010
Walking quietly along a river bank, you hear a quiet plop and turn to see ripples spreading on the water surface. This is the first sign you may notice of the return of one of Britain's most charismatic animals.
Water voles, immortalised as Ratty in Wind in the Willows, were once a common sight on waterways across the UK but in the 1990s water vole populations began to decline dramatically. By 2005, 90 per cent had disappeared, making them the fastest declining mammal in the UK.
However, their numbers are starting to increase again in many parts of the country, the East of England being no exception. The results are thanks to a combination of the best river water quality for over 20 years, habitat improvement work and control of the water voles' main predator - mink.
The Environment Agency has brought about some of these changes directly but an important partnership project, called Water for Wildlife (WfW), has brought enormous benefits. The Environment Agency supports WfW projects across the eastern counties, and these have been extremely successful in reversing the fortunes of water voles, thanks to the hard work, commitment and expertise of the officers.
Through the WfW partnership, mink control has now been initiated on the majority of the river catchments in Suffolk. Major work areas include giving advice on mink control, organising water vole and otter surveys, and advising landowners on wetland and riparian management. Improvements in habitat quality have also been brought about by increasingly sensitive management by the Environment Agency and other land managers.
The success of this work has been seen increasing populations of water voles across the county. Water vole occupancy of the River Deben catchment alone has increased by 40% from 2003 to 2006.
Until 2008 water vole populations had disappeared from almost the whole of the River Stour. The situation was thought so severe that a release of captive-bred animals was being planned. However, it was discovered that a number of landowners were trapping mink, and in 2008 the first water vole was spotted. The recovery of the population was confirmed by a survey in 2009 that found them around Bures and at other locations along the river.
Chris Strachan from the Environment Agency's Fisheries, Recreation and Biodiversity team said: "The improvements in water vole's fortunes are due to the hard work and dedication of lots of people, many of them working voluntarily. It is very heartening to be involved in such a co-operative project involving agencies, project officers and landowners all working towards a common goal".