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| Water voles are almost extinct in Wales - could glitter save them? | Water voles are almost extinct in Wales - could glitter save them? |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Water voles are fed edible glitter in the hopes that their movements can be tracked | |
| Endangered water voles in Wales are being fed edible glitter in a bid to save them from extinction. | Endangered water voles in Wales are being fed edible glitter in a bid to save them from extinction. |
| Once commonly found across south Wales, water voles are now effectively extinct in all but a few locations, according to the Wildlife Trust. | Once commonly found across south Wales, water voles are now effectively extinct in all but a few locations, according to the Wildlife Trust. |
| With their future hanging in the balance, conservationists have been looking for new ways to track the naturally shy individuals in the wild - which is where the glitter comes in. | With their future hanging in the balance, conservationists have been looking for new ways to track the naturally shy individuals in the wild - which is where the glitter comes in. |
| The Initiative for Nature Conservation Cymru (INCC) hopes that by offering the animals something sparkly to eat, the sparkle should come out the other end - providing some much-needed answers. | The Initiative for Nature Conservation Cymru (INCC) hopes that by offering the animals something sparkly to eat, the sparkle should come out the other end - providing some much-needed answers. |
| Conservationists say numbers of water voles have declined by 90% in the past 30 years | |
| Rob Parry, chief executive of INCC, said his team had consulted with vets to ensure the edible and biodegradable glitter - the type used to decorate cakes - would not be harmful to the semi-aquatic creatures. | Rob Parry, chief executive of INCC, said his team had consulted with vets to ensure the edible and biodegradable glitter - the type used to decorate cakes - would not be harmful to the semi-aquatic creatures. |
| "It's something that we've done in nature conservation before for other species, for badgers in particular where we use pellets to put in with peanuts, which badgers love," said Mr Parry. | "It's something that we've done in nature conservation before for other species, for badgers in particular where we use pellets to put in with peanuts, which badgers love," said Mr Parry. |
| "So we've taken that idea and scaled it down to water vole size, which means using glitter." | "So we've taken that idea and scaled it down to water vole size, which means using glitter." |
| The hope is that if the water voles are willing to consume the glitter then it will come out in their poo, allowing the small mammals - which are often mistaken for brown rats - to be tracked by conservationists. | The hope is that if the water voles are willing to consume the glitter then it will come out in their poo, allowing the small mammals - which are often mistaken for brown rats - to be tracked by conservationists. |
| Different colours of glitter could be used to allow conservationists to track different families of water voles and how far they range. | Different colours of glitter could be used to allow conservationists to track different families of water voles and how far they range. |
| It might sound like a fun idea, but Mr Parry and his team could not be more serious. | It might sound like a fun idea, but Mr Parry and his team could not be more serious. |
| If they can track where water voles are located in the wild, they can make adjustments to the environment - like removing invasive conifers from wetland habitats or fencing off certain riverbanks to stop sheep grazing. | If they can track where water voles are located in the wild, they can make adjustments to the environment - like removing invasive conifers from wetland habitats or fencing off certain riverbanks to stop sheep grazing. |
| Measures like this could help the species to disperse through the landscape undisturbed and potentially be a life-saving intervention. | Measures like this could help the species to disperse through the landscape undisturbed and potentially be a life-saving intervention. |
| "We'll be able to see the types of territory, the size and where they go in," said Mr Parry. | "We'll be able to see the types of territory, the size and where they go in," said Mr Parry. |
| "Are they just using the linear features, the ditches, or are they spreading out into the bog and the molinia grassland habitat? | "Are they just using the linear features, the ditches, or are they spreading out into the bog and the molinia grassland habitat? |
| "That will be really crucial for when it comes to planning for our upland habitats." | "That will be really crucial for when it comes to planning for our upland habitats." |
| The edible glitter is the same as the type used on cakes | The edible glitter is the same as the type used on cakes |
| The team is first testing out their theory on some captive-bred water voles which are part of a wider Natural Resources Wales (NRW) project to reintroduce colonies into the wild. | The team is first testing out their theory on some captive-bred water voles which are part of a wider Natural Resources Wales (NRW) project to reintroduce colonies into the wild. |
| The glitter is spread onto chunks of apple, not part of their normal diet in the wild, but a food the animals love and do well on in captivity, according to Richard Davies from NRW. | The glitter is spread onto chunks of apple, not part of their normal diet in the wild, but a food the animals love and do well on in captivity, according to Richard Davies from NRW. |
| "They get everything they need from apples, carrots, and some dried rabbit food as well," he said. | "They get everything they need from apples, carrots, and some dried rabbit food as well," he said. |
| He has successfully bred hundreds of water voles which have been reintroduced into the wild, though he said their release was no guarantee of survival. | He has successfully bred hundreds of water voles which have been reintroduced into the wild, though he said their release was no guarantee of survival. |
| "Most predators in the UK would quite happily take a water vole. They need to be able to cope with this heavy predation and replace themselves a lot," he said. | "Most predators in the UK would quite happily take a water vole. They need to be able to cope with this heavy predation and replace themselves a lot," he said. |
| Rob Parry says humans have made water voles endangered, and believes it is up to us to help them | Rob Parry says humans have made water voles endangered, and believes it is up to us to help them |
| With a BBC News camera present, the glittery purple apple was placed on top of the straw bedding which covered the water voles' pen. | With a BBC News camera present, the glittery purple apple was placed on top of the straw bedding which covered the water voles' pen. |
| After 20 minutes, the food remained untouched, but an hour later most of it had disappeared. | After 20 minutes, the food remained untouched, but an hour later most of it had disappeared. |
| The success of the project, however, does not just depend on the appetite of the water voles, but how well the glitter can retain its shine from end to end. | The success of the project, however, does not just depend on the appetite of the water voles, but how well the glitter can retain its shine from end to end. |
| Mr Parry said without interventions like this, the future for water voles was uncertain. | Mr Parry said without interventions like this, the future for water voles was uncertain. |
| "It's been a perfect storm of bad things that's happened to water voles in the last few decades," he said. | "It's been a perfect storm of bad things that's happened to water voles in the last few decades," he said. |
| "We have drained an awful lot of their wetland habitat, forced them into linear ditches where we find them now, and then the biggest problem is the American mink, an invasive species that was let out and released from pens and they just turned out to be the perfect water vole predators. The water voles don't stand a chance, really." | "We have drained an awful lot of their wetland habitat, forced them into linear ditches where we find them now, and then the biggest problem is the American mink, an invasive species that was let out and released from pens and they just turned out to be the perfect water vole predators. The water voles don't stand a chance, really." |
| But now, at least, he is more hopeful. | But now, at least, he is more hopeful. |
| The water voles, known for being nervous about any changes to to their environment, had not rejected the glitter. | The water voles, known for being nervous about any changes to to their environment, had not rejected the glitter. |
| So, did the experiment work? | So, did the experiment work? |
| Just 24 hours later, a tiny glittery poo was spotted. | Just 24 hours later, a tiny glittery poo was spotted. |
| The conservation team was elated. | The conservation team was elated. |
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