More than 100 water voles have been reintroduced to a site in south Cornwall

Kernow Conservation CIC released around 100 water voles at a site near Stithians in south Cornwall.

The first release of the year took place on Tuesday, June 11.

It was funded by Rewilding Europe’s European Wildlife Fund, set up to strengthen and connect previously released water vole populations in the Kennall and Upper Cober catchments.

The water vole, one of Britain’s most threatened mammals, had been extinct in the area since the 1990s until Kernow Conservation began reintroducing them in 2022.

Since then, this reintroduction project, coupled with ongoing monitoring for mink, is helping the water rat make a considerable comeback.

Water voles, essential to riparian ecology, contribute by grazing approximately 227 plant species.

Their daily diet, equivalent to 80% of their weight, increases plant diversity.

Moreover, water voles have a significant role in the food chain.

David Carrier, founder and project leader of Kernow Conservation, said: “We are delighted to be moving forward with our first release for 2024.

“This latest batch of water voles in the area will unite populations from two of our previous releases and allow them to thrive in the region for many years to come.”