The water vole has recovered at some sites following conservation intervention but remains one of the UK fastest declining mammals, requiring sustained effort to reverse the long-term decline.
Water vole welfare is directly threatened by mink predation which causes population collapse within years of mink establishment. Individual voles caught by mink experience fear and pain before death. Sustained mink control allows populations to recover demonstrably. Habitat restoration providing dense bankside vegetation creates refugia where recovery can occur.