Water voles thriving in East Anglia thanks to project to get rid of invasive mink
Mink are now thought to be almost gone - providing a boost to water voles as well as bittern and cranes.
Efforts to help the recovery of threatened water voles in East Anglia have received a boost, as conservationists think one of their major predators is on the brink of being eradicated.
American Mink, a non-native rodent species, has been on the loose in the region since the 1920s. They were originally bred for their fur.
Their spread has had a devastating impact on native bird and mammal populations like bittern, cranes and water voles.
A mink trapping project was launched in the Broads in Norfolk and Suffolk in 2003, with Waterlife Recovery East, Suffolk Wildlife Trust and the Broads Authority working together on the project.
There are currently 340 traps set up on waterways in Norfolk to catch mink.
Conservationists now think the species is on the brink of being eradicated locally, as only seven mink have been caught in Norfolk so far this year, with five caught in Suffolk.
Simon Baker of Waterlife Recovery Trust said:
“The support from partners and volunteers has allowed us to get to a point where mink have been almost eradicated from a core area of Norfolk and Suffolk that includes the Broads.
"We are cautiously optimistic therefore that mink eradication is possible.
“Our work with a dedicated community around our river networks, alongside recent additional funding and a scientific approach, is helping to protect wildlife and see water voles flourishing in the Broads again.”