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Rare Burrowing City Water Voles Relocated Ahead of Drainage Works
A specialist ecology team moved the nationally significant population to protect the rare species before work on a detention basin begins.
- A specialist team of ecologists relocated rare fossorial water voles from Glasgow's Wellhouse area in recent weeks, moving the nationally significant population to a confidential nearby habitat ahead of Scottish Water's sustainable urban drainage system construction.
- Construction of the SUDS detention basin prompted the relocation, as infrastructure work necessitated clearing the vole habitat; the fossorial voles have adapted to burrow underground like moles in urban grasslands since their discovery in 2008.
- Ecologists from Tetra Tech used empty Pringle tubes to funnel voles into crates, naming one specimen Paprika; Julia Ferguson, associate director of ecology at Tetra Tech, said the relocated population will serve as a connecting habitat for fragmented water vole colonies.
- Steven Greenhill, Alliance Team Manager at Scottish Water, praised the collaborative effort, thanking Glasgow City Council, NatureScot, and the Seven Lochs Wetland Park for their expertise in safely relocating the voles to Wellhouse's new habitat.
- Nationally, UK water vole numbers have crashed from millions to around 132,000 with an 80–90% decline, making Glasgow's fossorial voles critical to conservation; the SUDS project completion by summer 2027 will deliver carbon savings and enable affordable housing development.
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Rare burrowing city water voles relocated ahead of drainage works
The voles are said to be of national significance.
·London, United Kingdom
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Rare water voles relocated ahead of Glasgow drainage project
RARE water voles found in Glasgow’s east end have been relocated ahead of Scottish Water carrying out essential drainage work in the area. A specialist team of ecologists safely relocated the protected animals – part of a nationally significant population unique to Glasgow – from land in the Wellhouse area to a suitable nearby habitat, ensuring the voles are safeguarded ahead of work to construct a new sustainable urban drainage system (SUDS) de…
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Total News Sources12
Leaning Left6Leaning Right0Center3Last UpdatedBias Distribution67% Left
Bias Distribution
- 67% of the sources lean Left
67% Left
L 67%
C 33%
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