Special investment at Needingworth Quarry to safeguard water voles

Water voles have become the latest protected species needing special investment to safeguard at Needingworth quarry.

The rare rodents, often called water rats, have spread into an extension area of farmland due to be available for extraction later this year.

Unit manager Hilton Law has launched an extensive operation to capture and move them to the Cambridgeshire site’s wetlands reserve before quarrying starts.

“We employed contractors to fence off the Fenland waterways in the area and ecologists began in March to humanely capture and translocate them to other parts of the reserve where there are no water voles,” said Hilton.

“We are always aware of our ecological responsibilities to all wildlife, especially to protected species. We have previously mitigated against endangering badgers, sand martins and bats, but this is a first for water voles.”