Britain's fastest-declining mammal, the water vole, faces welfare threats from habitat loss and mink predation that have caused catastrophic population collapse.
Water voles face ongoing welfare threats from predation, habitat loss, and population fragmentation. Mink predation causes acute welfare events — predator stress and mortality — at catastrophic population scale. Habitat degradation means surviving voles experience chronic food stress and reduced territory quality. Recovery programs combining mink control, habitat restoration, and reintroduction create conditions where water voles can once again thrive. Individual welfare improvement is inseparable from population recovery in this case.