harvest mice

 

After a 45-year absence, over 150 harvest mice have been reintroduced to a nature reserve in west London, marking a significant milestone in local conservation efforts.

The last recorded sighting of these mice in the borough of Ealing dates back to 1979, specifically at Perivale Wood.

Part of the broader rewilding project led by the Ealing Wildlife Group, this reintroduction aims to enhance the local ecosystem’s health and diversity.

Loss of habitat is believed to have contributed to the mice’s disappearance, reflecting a broader decline observed across the UK, with native harvest mouse populations dwindling by 70%.

Perivale Wood, boasting ancient oak woodland and neutral grassland, now includes designated areas within its meadows to serve as wildlife corridors for small mammals.

These untouched grassy patches provide essential nesting material and cover for the harvest mice. Additionally, the introduction of a new pond, alongside an existing one, will create more reed bed habitats, preferred by these tiny creatures.

Bred in captivity by dedicated volunteers, the mice’s reintroduction has been met with enthusiasm by Richard Goddard, representing the Selborne Society, which oversees management of Perivale Wood, describing it as a “fantastic” development.

He added: “Selborne Society volunteers put in more than 2,000 hours of voluntary work to improve our habitats.

“This has been the perfect way to celebrate National Mammal Week”.

 

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At Natural World Fund, we are passionate about stopping the decline in our wildlife.

The decline in our wildlife is shocking and frightening. Without much more support, many of the animals we know and love will continue in their decline towards extinction.

When you help to restore a patch of degraded land through rewilding to forests, meadows, or wetlands, you have a massive impact on the biodiversity at a local level. You give animals a home and food that they otherwise would not have had, and it has a positive snowball effect on the food chain.

We are convinced that this is much better for the UK than growing lots of fast-growing coniferous trees, solely to remove carbon, that don’t actually help our animals to thrive.

This is why we stand for restoring nature in the UK through responsible rewilding. For us, it is the right thing to do. Let’s do what’s right for nature!

Donate today at https://naturalworldfund.com/ and join in the solution!

 

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