365 water voles have been released to new homes in Cumbria.

A re-introduction programme has seen water voles start to return to Cumbria’s riverbanks, following a significant decline in their population.

The river conservation effort, run by the charity Eden Rivers Trust, has seen 204 water voles released at Haweswater reservoir.

This follows the successful rehoming of 161 water voles at Lowther Estate, bringing the total number of released water voles to 365.

This marks the end of the first stage of the re-introduction programme, which aimed to restore the local population back into the eco-system.

Eden Rivers Trust was awarded money by the Environment Agency’s Water Environment Improvement Fund (WEIF), The Moorhouse Fund (Cumbria Community Foundation) and Ernest Cook Trust to re-establish the water vole in Cumbria’s Lake District.

The water vole is Britain’s fastest declining mammal, with the estimated population dropping from eight million to approximately 132,000 in the past century. During this time period, they have disappeared from 94 per cent of sites, including the Lake District.

This has been due to a variety of issues, including habitat loss, pollution and the rapid spread of the non-native American mink.

American minks became established in the UK after being released or escaping from fur farms in the 1960s. Their carnivorous nature has resulted in whole colonies of water voles being decimated.

Before the water voles could be released into their new homes, Eden River Trust, in partnership with The Environment Agency and the Cumbria Connect programme, first had to take steps to tackle the barriers that had initially driven the water vole out.

These efforts have meant that the water voles have settled into their new habitats, which are being managed by the RSPB and United Utilities.

Bill Kenmir, conservation manager at Cumbria Connect, said: “This reintroduction of water voles to Cumbria marks a significant step forward in nature restoration of our landscape.

“Recognised as a keystone species due to their pivotal role, these charming creatures wield significant influence in delicately balanced ecosystems by engineering new habitats and increasing plant diversity along waterways.”

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