The Restoring Ratty water vole reintroduction project has just released a further 199 water voles into the Kielder Water and Forest Park area, bringing the total released since the project started in 2015 to 2284.

As with previous releases, the water voles were bred in captivity over the winter at the Derek Gow Consultancy in Devon - specialists in water vole conservation. They were brought to Kielder Water & Forest Park at the beginning of June and fed on carrots and sweet apples, before being released over the course of a week.

It’s especially good news for the team at Border Forest Holiday Park near Otterburn who agreed to allow a number of water voles being released on its site which is situated in the middle of the River Rede catchment area.  Fingers crossed, visitors to the award winning park may catch a glimpse of them this summer.

The first release of 325 water voles took place in in June 2017 following a 30-year absence in the area.

The aim of the Restoring Ratty project partners - Northumberland Wildlife Trust, Forestry England and Tyne Rivers Trust - is to restore populations of this endangered mammal to the Kielder catchment of the North Tyne with a view to their eventual spread throughout western reaches of Northumberland.