NearbyWild's video: Water Voles and Dog Disturbance

In The Water Vole: Britain’s Most Endangered Mammal, author Christine Gregory writes: “While water voles have generally been regarded as easy to watch at close quarters, any sudden noise or intrusion will send them into the water, or burrow, or under cover. Where there is almost constant traffic of people and dogs, the pressure can make the habitat untenable. … If they are disturbed too much they will simply move on and may be forced to settle in less than optimal habitat with fewer chances of establishing breeding colonies. … Dogs are able to search out and kill water voles, but as they rarely manage to catch either waterfowl or water voles many dog owners regard their activity in or near the water as harmless. They are not aware that their dog’s gleeful splashing and barking may be one of the very many canine intrusions that could cause a population of water voles to collapse under pressure. I was in a country park photographing a water vole that then vanished as a terrier appeared and sniffed its way along the grassy tunnels and holes at the maring of an old mining flash pond. His owner came into view and asked, “Did he disturb something — what was it?” “A water vole,” I replied. “Oh, that’s his favourite.” This encounter is typical of many I have had whilst researching this book.” In the hour that I was sat by this stream, one dog got in and splashed around about 50 metres away and this dog got into the stream opposite me, having escaped from its owner. I had thought that the water voles had disappeared due to fluctuating water levels, but now think that the numbers of dogs entering the stream have displaced the water voles on this section. There needs to be a national rule that dogs must be on leads whilst in the countryside as so much wildlife is affected by off leash dogs, such as curlews, common and jack snipe, lapwings and small mammals, including harvest mice, where they still exist.