VOLE ON A ROLL
BBC Wildlife|July 2023
Water voles are back in south Cornwall for the first time since the 1990s – just one of many UK releases
Alexandra Pearce
VOLE ON A ROLL

IT'S NOT OFTEN THAT respectable conservationists dare to utter the c-word, but when a small, furred head pops up above its straw refuge, there is more than one exclamation of "Oh, they're so cute!"

We are gathered in the yard of Trelusback Farm, Cornwall, helping to ferry cages from a van and stack them in a small barn, the only refuge from the dour weather. Apples and carrots are being chopped, lists being crosschecked and release cages being readied. Occasionally a soft brown face peers out to observe the proceedings, nostrils flaring to reveal a flash of bright orange teeth.

But amidst the adorable animals, vintage tractors and wistful stories of childhood sightings, we are conscious of the seriousness of the occasion. We are preparing for a groundbreaking moment: 116 water voles are about to take their first tentative steps here, the first time the species has graced south Cornwall for over two decades.

Water voles, small riparian mammals with chestnut-fur, stubby noses and furry tails, were declared extinct in Cornwall in the late 1990s. There were successful releases in north Cornwall in 2014 but, until now, in south Cornwall you were more likely to be confusing a vole with a rat – the two animals can look strikingly similar, particularly during brief encounters. Generations raised on Kenneth Grahame’s Wind in the Willows water vole protagonist, misleadingly named Ratty, can probably shoulder some of the blame for that.

Denne historien er fra July 2023-utgaven av BBC Wildlife.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra July 2023-utgaven av BBC Wildlife.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA BBC WILDLIFESe alt
See It, Save It? - Wildlife tourism can be a powerful ally in protecting nature - but it can also harm it. We weigh up the pros and cons.
BBC Wildlife

See It, Save It? - Wildlife tourism can be a powerful ally in protecting nature - but it can also harm it. We weigh up the pros and cons.

The sums of wildlife travel aren’t as simple as more tourists equals happier nature. How much did my visit really contribute to the conservation of Lady Liuwa and her habitat – and was that outweighed by carbon emissions from my flights? Did my presence disturb the animals’ natural behaviour more than it reduced the threat of poaching or benefited local communities?The question of whether wildlife travel is, on balance, good for wildlife is a complex one – and there’s no simple answer.

time-read
8 mins  |
November 2024
Can Your Really Offset Emissions? - Planning an overseas wildlife-watching trip entails facing some inconvenient truths
BBC Wildlife

Can Your Really Offset Emissions? - Planning an overseas wildlife-watching trip entails facing some inconvenient truths

Imagine (or maybe you don't need to) that you hanker after the safari trip of a lifetime in sub-Saharan Africa. A 17-day tour beginning at the iconic Victoria Falls, passing through Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi and Tanzania, taking in some of the continent’s most wildlife-rich national parks, and ending on the lush island of Zanzibar.

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2024
Metamorphosis: a life-changing event
BBC Wildlife

Metamorphosis: a life-changing event

WITH EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGIST JV CHAMARY

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2024
New series for BBC One: Asia
BBC Wildlife

New series for BBC One: Asia

Settle in this autumn for a new natural-history extravaganza on BBC One and iPlayer: the longawaited Asia, presented by Sir David Attenborough.

time-read
1 min  |
November 2024
Loss of Antarctic sea ice could impact seabird food supply
BBC Wildlife

Loss of Antarctic sea ice could impact seabird food supply

Albatrosses and petrels may be forced to fly further to feed

time-read
1 min  |
November 2024
Tarsiers in trouble
BBC Wildlife

Tarsiers in trouble

Urgent action is needed to ensure survival of the Yoda-like primate

time-read
1 min  |
November 2024
SNAP-CHAT
BBC Wildlife

SNAP-CHAT

Chien Lee on shrew loos, rogue drones and being rained out of bed

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2024
VISIONS OF NATURE
BBC Wildlife

VISIONS OF NATURE

The winners of the Wildlife Artist of the Year competition 2024, from David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation

time-read
2 mins  |
November 2024
RETURN OF THE GIANTS
BBC Wildlife

RETURN OF THE GIANTS

After two decades of preparations, the island of Floreana in the Galápagos is ready to welcome back an iconic tortoise

time-read
8 mins  |
November 2024
10 HOLIDAYS FOR CONSERVATION
BBC Wildlife

10 HOLIDAYS FOR CONSERVATION

Our round-up of the best ecotourism projects around the world. Here's how to help wildlife while having a blast!

time-read
8 mins  |
November 2024