Water voles have been reintroduced to a Lake District valley in an effort to revive their dwindling population.

About 75 animals were released into Ennerdale Valley on Tuesday by Forestry England and the West Cumbria Rivers Trust, following three years of planning.

The species, listed on the red endangered list of British mammals, is currently being kept in temporary enclosures to adapt to its new surroundings. The barriers will be lifted after the bank holiday weekend.

Once common across UK waterways, water voles have suffered steep declines since the 1970s due to habitat loss and predation by American mink, originally introduced for fur farming. A major part of the Ennerdale project involves keeping the valley free of mink, with traps set up ahead of the release.

According to Forestry England, water voles play a vital ecological role—opening habitats for other species through their grazing and burrowing, while also forming prey for foxes, otters, stoats, weasels, herons and raptors.

Hayley Dauben, Forestry England’s species introduction officer, said the team was confident Ennerdale offered “an excellent habitat” with plentiful food and a strong chance of avoiding predators.

“Our monitoring shows no permanent mink population in the area, though mink do occasionally visit from elsewhere,” she said, adding the traps have been working successfully along the River Ehen.

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