More water voles to be moved away from Salisbury's River Avon soon
Fifty are being relocated to Ringwood for the River Park project
We can expect some disruption along Salisbury's Millstream footpath later this month, as ecologists work to move water voles downstream.
They’ll be capturing the protected species between the Boathouse pub and the Avon Approach bridge, relocating them to Ringwood.
It's all part of the Salisbury River Park Project, to allow work on shaping the waterway and its banks.
Andy Wallis is the project lead and explains why this is being done now:
"There's a very strict time when we can do this - when the voles come out of hibernation and before they start breeding - so that's the end of this month and through next month, that's the only time we're allowed to do it.
"We have to use specialist ecologists who do the work under licence from Natural England."
Humane traps, containing apples and bedding will be used to capture the riverside animals.
It's the second set of water voles to be moved, after further work last Autumn:
A similar project's also taken place to relocate the fish that were living in the River Avon, through the city centre.
Andy Wallis, lead for the Salisbury River Park Project explained what disruption we might see as a result of the water vole work:
"Once we've removed and relocated any voles that are there, we have to make sure that no voles come back and reoccupy the area. The worst case is that we may have to bring in some light machinery to do some excavation, in which case for a short period of time, we'd have to close the footpath."
The Salisbury River Park project aims to improve flood defences for 350 homes and businesses in Salisbury, while also giving up more chances to get out into the landscape.
Work's being carried out from the Central Car Park, through to Ashley Road green and the Fisherton Recreation Ground.