Thirty nationally endangered water voles have been introduced to a nature reserve near Elstead, Surrey, by the Surrey Wildlife Trust. This release on the River Wey follows a previous successful reintroduction further upstream.
The water voles are being introduced across 10 sites downstream between Frensham and Elstead. The trust hopes these aquatic rodents will adapt easily to the 16-hectare reserve at Thundry Meadows and establish widely across the top of the Wey catchment in the coming months.
Water voles have been functionally extinct in Surrey since the early 2000s. This reintroduction is part of a wider effort led by the National Trust, River Wey Trust, and South East Rivers Trust to help the species thrive again. Their return is also expected to benefit other species dependent on healthy wetland habitats, including herons and birds of prey.