Water Vole Project
Photograph taken by Alison Hales at Trelusback
Water voles were successfully reintroduced during 2022 and a second release was carried out in 2023. These water voles were released by Kernow Conservation with funding from Mossy Earth Limited, Cornwall Council, Paradise Park, local companies and many members of the public. The release was filmed by a number of organisations including ITV and BBC camera crews.
Water voles are taken by many predators when outside of their burrows but normally enough survive to reproduce and keep populations stable. The release of American Mink by animal rights activists many years ago was however devastating for water voles. Mink were able to enter the burrows of water voles and therefore able to wipe out whole families. This caused the water voles to become extinct in most of the British Isles.
It is believed that mink are no longer present in this part of Cornwall but the site is being carefully monitored. Four mink rafts were purchased by the Trelusback Foundation for Wildlife Conservation charity to monitor the site for mink and these rafts have also proven to be excellent for monitoring water voles and other mammals. The rafts contain blocks of wet clay and any animal walking through the rafts leave behind their footprints.
Female Water Voles, conveniently for those who are monitoring them, also use the rafts for marking their territories with their droppings. Additional small rafts have therefore been placed in all ponds and streams at the Trelusback Foundation site to assess the number of breeding females. Some of these rafts have been used by voles when eating and evidence of their diet is seen.
Water voles are taken by many predators when outside of their burrows but normally enough survive to reproduce and keep populations stable. The release of American Mink by animal rights activists many years ago was however devastating for water voles. Mink were able to enter the burrows of water voles and therefore able to wipe out whole families. This caused the water voles to become extinct in most of the British Isles.
It is believed that mink are no longer present in this part of Cornwall but the site is being carefully monitored. Four mink rafts were purchased by the Trelusback Foundation for Wildlife Conservation charity to monitor the site for mink and these rafts have also proven to be excellent for monitoring water voles and other mammals. The rafts contain blocks of wet clay and any animal walking through the rafts leave behind their footprints.
Female Water Voles, conveniently for those who are monitoring them, also use the rafts for marking their territories with their droppings. Additional small rafts have therefore been placed in all ponds and streams at the Trelusback Foundation site to assess the number of breeding females. Some of these rafts have been used by voles when eating and evidence of their diet is seen.
Photograph taken at Trelusback Foundation by David Carrier of Kernow Conservation
Photograph of Northen end of Trelusback Lake
Some of the many species of birds using the lake