Wildlife

Water Vole: Britain Fastest Declining Mammal

The water vole has declined by 90 percent since the 1970s making it one of the most threatened small mammals in Britain.

Key Facts

Water vole populations declined by over 90 percent between 1970 and 1998
American mink escaped from fur farms is the primary cause of decline
They live in burrows dug into river banks above the waterline
Water voles feed on riverside vegetation particularly grasses and rushes
They produce up to 5 litters per year but mortality is high from predation and flooding

Welfare Considerations

Water voles suffer from a combination of American mink predation which eliminates entire colonies in weeks, and habitat destruction through channel dredging, bank clearing, and development. Flooding disrupts burrow systems and causes drowning. Fragmented populations cannot recolonise after local extinction. Remaining animals suffer stress from intensive predation pressure.

What You Can Do

Support mink control programmes as part of licensed water vole conservation schemes
Join local Wildlife Trust water vole survey projects to locate remaining populations
Advocate for sympathetic river bank management that retains rank vegetation
Support habitat creation projects that link fragmented water vole populations
Donate to the Wildlife Trusts water vole recovery programme