Harvest mice population thriving 20 years after reintroduction
The harvest mouse is one of the UK's most elusive and tiniest mammals, weighing less than a two pence coin.
Experts have revealed that the harvest mice population in Chester Zoo’s Nature Corridor is thriving, 20 years after a reintroduction programme saw conservationists release hundreds of the rare rodents into the wild.
The reintroduction programme took place between 2002 and 2004, when the zoo released 960 harvest mice into the wild, in a bid to save the species from extinction.
Recent scientific surveys in and around the zoo’s 30 hectare Nature Corridor have confirmed strong densities of harvest mice breeding sets up to 1.5 kilometres away from where they were originally introduced.
The harvest mouse is one of the UK’s most elusive and tiniest mammals, weighing less than a two pence coin, and it is the only British mammal to have a prehensile tail (a tail adapted to grasp or hold objects).
The protected species plays an important part in the ecosystem, mainly as a food source for native predators. It has seen a continued decline in recent years, attributed mainly to habitat loss and intensive agriculture.
During her 42 years at Chester Zoo, registrar Penny Rudd has championed the conservation of harvest mice. She led the release and personally microchipped all 960 animals. She said: “I’ve been at the zoo for a very long time, and I do see the harvest mouse recovery work I’ve been involved with as a huge legacy. I feel very proud of what we’ve done.
“When the email dropped onto my desk saying we have strong harvest mouse evidence in the area all this time later — it was just the best feeling in the world!
“As a major conservation zoo we’re very focused on lots of animals that come from all over the world, but actually we’re equally the guardians of our own wildlife in Chester and in the UK. Therefore, I think we should all be interested in that because there’s so much happening in the UK that we can be proud of and that we can have as our heritage.
“I think every species should have a champion, and I’d like to feel I was the champion for harvest mice back in the turn of the century.
“What the story tells you is that, if you champion a species, you can inspire others to join you and you can actually make a difference, because it has made a difference - we have clearly succeeded!”
Chester Zoo encourages everyone to do their bit to protect the species by taking part in local harvest mice nest surveys, recording sightings to the Mammal Society and wildlife record centres, and leaving long grass and brambles in gardens and local parks.
Image (C) Chester Zoo
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