An interesting twist to the Eco-Clean project has emerged. A pest control firm employed by Tesco was brought in to address a rat problem in the leat area. Although a number of rats have been spotted and these are being dealt with by the pest control man, he has however advised that some of the ratty characters in the area may not be vermin as we had originally thought but water voles!! Water voles were declared extinct in Cornwall in 1988 having been eradicated by the rising American minx population, a savage preditor. This would be fantastic news if true and is currently being checked out by members of the mammal group affiliated to the Cornwall Widlife Trust.
Could it be possible that this precious, indigenous mammal has indeed survived the onslaught of the American minx in this suburban environment? We will keep you all updated on this latest development. We would appreciate knowing if any other people have spotted these special characters in the area. Interestingly the population of water voles in the UK has dropped from an estimated population of 10,000,000 to a current population of 2,000,000.
Just keep a keen eye on this space for further updates!