SOMERSET Wildlife Trust has welcomed an important announcement by Defra that the water vole will now be fully protected rather than just its burrows.
As of April 6, it will be against the law to intentionally kill, recklessly damage or disturb their places of shelter or protection.
In 1990, there were seven million water voles in the UK but this figure has dropped to less than a million in 1998 and numbers continue to fall.
The Wildlife Trust have been working hard to ensure that water voles survive but improving habitats and protecting them from mink predation.
Water voles are prevalent on a number of Somerset reserves. Reserves make ideal homes for voles as they are managed with their welfare in mind.
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