വർഷങ്ങൾക്ക് ശേഷം തിരിച്ചുവരവ്: നോർത്ത് ഡെവണിൽ വാട്ടർ വോളുകളുടെ പുനരുജ്ജീവനം വൻ വിജയത്തിലേക്ക്

Water voles are being reintroduced to North Devon more than 25 years after being declared functionally extinct in the area in 2000. The National Trust, which announced the news on 29 June 2026, has carried out a major restoration project across the Combesgate catchment at Woolacombe since 2022. The work included creating 20 ponds and scrapes, planting 26,000 trees and sowing 15 hectares of wildflower seed. About 110 voles have been released so far. Paul South of the National Trust called the return "an important moment for nature in North Devon", delivered with the North Devon Coast National Landscape.The Trust said the reintroduction follows a major habitat restoration project at Woolacombe. According to the official press release by the National Trust, extensive work has been carried out across the Combesgate catchment since 2022 to restore habitats and natural processes in local waterways. The BBC reported that the aim was to create the right conditions for the animals' return.The Trust listed the work as follows: creating 20 ponds and scrapes, removing land drains, planting 26,000 trees and sowing 15 hectares of wildflower seed. Natural flood management measures and rewetting were also introduced along 1,700 metres of watercourse, alongside conservation grazing to support biodiversity. The press release said this forms part of a wider programme across North Devon to restore a more natural, wetter landscape that is better able to cope with the impacts of climate change. It added that the changes are helping to reconnect habitats and slow the flow of water through the landscape.The National Trust said the reintroduction has been carefully managed with Derek Gow Consultancy, whose expertise has helped deliver a planned programme to give the animals the best chance of survival. According to the press release, the voles are first placed in protective pens on site, where they are monitored and cared for before gradually dispersing into the surrounding habitat. According to the BBC, the animals leave the pens in their own time, which helps to reduce stress. Trail cameras have been set up to capture them as they begin to explore their new environment.Paul South told the BBC that about 110 voles have been released so far and that this number might be topped up depending on how they are doing. He said he would expect the population to more than double, perhaps triple, by the end of the season, before numbers drop back again at the end of winter. According to the BBC, he added that if the voles do well, they will expand outwards, and a few neighbouring watercourses are being watched to see whether they turn up there.The National Trust said water voles' burrows create flowering habitats that support bugs, butterflies and other riverside species. South told the BBC the burrows also provide dens for other animals and create a more complex habitat. He said the voles are prey for animals such as herons and foxes, and that they breed a lot and so can cope with this. In the press release, he described the return as "an important moment for nature in North Devon", saying it shows wildlife can recover with the right conditions.The project was delivered in partnership with North Devon Coast National Landscape, with funding support from Farming in Protected Landscapes. The Trust relies on volunteers to monitor watercourses in the area, and South asked local people to get in touch to watch for burrows and mink, and to report both to mammal societies. Hannah Ford, the Trust's Fundraising Manager, invited supporters to donate to the Adopt a Plot initiative in North Devon, which the press release said supports habitat restoration and the reintroduction of native species such as pine martens, red squirrels and water voles. Under its ten-year strategy, the Trust aims to work with partners to create 250,000 hectares of nature-rich landscapes, an area it described as one-and-a-half times the size of Greater London.