Rare Orkney Vole on the rise thanks to ambitious native wildlife project - RSPB

New report shows reduction in invasive Stoats is making a positive difference for wildlife.

A vole found only on Scotland’s Orkney islands has had its best season yet according to the latest report. An increase in Orkney Voles comes as the removal of non-native invasive Stoats progresses, thanks to the Orkney Native Wildlife Project.

The Orkney islands have a rich natural heritage. They host 15% of the UK’s Hen Harrier population, 6% of its breeding seabirds, and are the only place on Earth where the Orkney Vole exists. They are also a vital waypoint along the East Atlantic Flyway, a migratory corridor used by more than 150 bird species journeying between the Arctic and Africa.

However, non-native Stoats looked set to devastate the islands’ wildlife. First discovered in Orkney in 2010, Stoats have no natural predators, breed quickly and eat mammals and birds, and their eggs. A 2015 study warned that without intervention, Stoats would have a devastating impact on Orkney’s wildlife, particularly Orkney Voles, Hen Harriers and Short-eared Owls.

World-first efforts

Determined to prevent this, the Orkney Native Wildlife Project resolved to remove the Stoats from the islands. In 2019, this ambitious partnership between RSPB Scotland, NatureScot and Orkney Islands Council began working with local communities in a world-first Stoat removal programme. In the last six years more than 8,500 Stoats have been removed, and this latest data demonstrates how these efforts are making a positive difference for the wildlife.