Norfolk Zoo awarded £100K to help endangered species
The population of native white-clawed crayfish has reduced by 70% since the 1970s.
Last updated 6th Aug 2021
Banham Zoo in Norfolk has been awarded nearly £100,000 to help boost nature recovery in the county.
The grant money will be used to build a hatchery to protect endangered white-clawed crayfish that live in Norfolk’s rare chalk streams.
It's from the Government’s Green Recovery Challenge Fund to help tackle climate change and boost nature recovery in the county.
Sarah Lee, conservation manager for Banham Zoo, says its vital to step in now:
"They are facing local extinction in Norfolk, and it's such a shame because our biodiversity in this county is amazing.
"It's all about rearing them in captivity in Banham Zoo, and then releasing them back into the wild in hopefully huge numbers so we can support the population going forward."
The White-clawed crayfish is the UK’s only native freshwater crayfish, and numbers have been declining due to habitat loss, pollution, and competition from invasive species.
Since the 1970s, the population has reduced by 70%.
Sarah warned we could lose the species altogether:
"If we lose these crayfish from the rivers, the whole eco-system will change, it could possibly collapse.
"It really is critical - if we don't do anything to help the population numbers in the wild they will go extinct, especially in Norfolk and possibly throughout England."
We hope that the new breeding facility at the Zoo will inspire visitors to learn more about our native species and highlight the importance of biosecurity, while bolstering our local white-clawed crayfish populations.
Norfolk Rivers Trust is also working in partnership with Banham Zoo.
Ursula Juta, Education and Catchment Manager said:
"We're working with a number of groups to protect and enhance our aquatic habitats for this species, and are always looking to identify new 'ark' sites, where new populations can be safely established, to safeguard their future in Norfolk until a solution for controlling signals can be found.”
The Government’s £80 million Green Recovery Challenge Fund supports 90 nature projects across England, which have been awarded grants between £68,100 to £1,950,000.