Salisbury River Park Project: Water Voles to be moved to Ringwood

The trapping process needs to be done once the water voles become active after winter hibernation and before the breeding season commences, and following a series of surveys, the location identified is on one bank of the Mill Stream between the Boathouse Pub and Avon Approach Bridge.

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Salisbury River Park Project Lead, Andy Wallis said: “In order to improve the habitat within the Mill Stream it is necessary to create some low-level berms in places along the riverbanks. It is known that a small number of water voles currently use these riverbanks and have burrows in the area.

“Our surveys and assessments have identified that there would be potential harm to the water voles, which are a protected species if we were to do nothing. By trapping and translocating the water voles we ensure this harm is minimised.”

Traps will be placed securely on the site and will contain bedding and food. They will be installed along the top of the bank and fencing will be installed to prevent public access.

The traps will be checked twice a day. 

If a vole is in one of the traps, the whole trap is taken to a holding facility on-site and a replacement trap is put in place.

Andy said: “A suitable site has been identified further downstream on the River Avon near Ringwood. This is where the water voles that were previously trapped as part of the project have been taken.

“Historically there would have been water voles in this area, but in recent decades they were decimated by Mink that were released from local fur farms. There has now been a successful programme of mink control in this area which gives the opportunity to re-establish a water vole population.”

Water Voles are often mistaken for rats but there are distinctive differences. The water vole has a rounded muzzle and ears mostly hidden in the fur. The tail is approximately, half its body length and often tucked away. Rats have pointed faces, obvious ears, and large eyes and the tail is hairless and long. 

Water voles are listed as endangered and on the England Red List for Mammals.

Translocation can only be undertaken by specialist ecologists and it is hoped that the water vole populations will recolonise this stretch of the river Avon in time as the ideal habitat will be created for them along the riverbanks.