Hundreds of water voles have been reintroduced to the Lake District after almost being wiped out.<br /><br />The species, Britain's fastest-declining mammal, once had a population of eight million but this reduced to approximately 132,000.<br /><br />This week, the last of 365 water voles were released after 161 were rehomed on the Lowther Estate in July.<br /><br />Water voles were nearly wiped out due to habitat loss, pollution, and the devastation caused by the rapid spread of their nemesis - invasive, non-native American mink.<br /><br />The successful release was conducted in a partnership project between Eden Rivers Trust, the Environment Agency and the Cumbria Connect programme.
