North York Moors sniffer dog helps detect endangered water voles

A specially-trained dog has been brought in to help sniff out endangered water voles as part of efforts to monitor their population.

Reid, a springer spaniel, and his handler, Rachel Cripps, have been looking for the animals in the North York Moors National Park.

In 2022, evidence of water voles was only found at five of 23 sites across the park.

But, park bosses hope Reid will help create a more accurate record.

Reid "has boundless energy and will work all day without a second thought, tackling dense and difficult habitat with ease," a spokesperson said.

The water vole population at the national park has been monitored by volunteers since 1999, with numbers decreasing since surveys began.

The organisation said it hoped that getting a more accurate picture of the population would enable it to focus its conservation efforts and boost the number of water voles in future.

Long spells of dry weather and overgrown habitats may have contributed to the diminishing population of water voles, they added.

But they said one of the animals' main predators, the American mink, had not been found at any water vole sites.

A report on the number of voles found by Reid will be published at the end of 2023.

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