Latest news with #VincentWildlifeTrust
Daily Record
a day ago
- General
- Daily Record
New haven for one of UK's rarest mammals to be unveiled in Dumfries and Galloway
The pine marten haven at Kirroughtree Visitor Centre near Newton Stewart will be launched on Saturday. A new haven for a rare mammal will be unveiled near Newton Stewart this weekend. The Vincent Wildlife Trust has been working with Forestry and Land Scotland to create a pine marten haven at Kirroughtree Visitor Centre thanks to funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The development, part of the charity's Martens on the Move project, will give visitors the chance to learn about pine martens thanks to a new hide and information boards. And to mark the occasion, the trust and FLS will be offering free guided walks and activities for all ages from 12.30pm on Saturday. Martens on the Move project manager, Dr Stephanie Johnstone, said: 'We are excited to be working with Forestry and Land Scotland in this important location for pine marten recovery in the south of the Scotland. 'VWT and FLS have worked together to support pine marten recovery in Scotland and beyond for many years. Thanks to this partnership and to the National Lottery players, we have been able to create this pine marten haven in Galloway Forest to share the story of this amazing native species with visitors from near and far. 'We've already been engaging and working with local communities and individuals in key areas in southern Scotland to provide new den boxes and to improve habitat for pine martens, which is great news for this recovering species.' Pine martens were once widespread in Galloway but were declared extinct at the beginning of the 20th century. Twelve of the animals were released into the Galloway Forest in the early 1990s and 20 years later, pine marten den boxes began to be installed. The animals are now flourishing in the forest, with the population expanding across Dumfries and Galloway and into Ayrshire. An FLS spokesman said: 'Forestry and Land Scotland has worked with Vincent Wildlife Trust for many years, particularly over the last ten years when the partnership resulted in more than 100 pine martens being translocated to areas in Wales and England. 'We are now delighted to be a part of this new era of pine marten conservation through the Martens on the Move project and we're looking forward to celebrating the launch of the Scottish pine marten haven.'
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Could the UK's loneliest bat finally have a mate?
What was thought to be the last bat of its species in the UK may finally have a mate, according to bat experts. The greater mouse-eared bat (Myotis myotis) was declared extinct in 1992, before a single male was found in a disused railway tunnel in West Sussex in 2002 and another in 2023, A female of the species has now been spotted in the same area in the South Downs National Park, the first in the wild since the 1980s. Daniel Hargreaves, bat programme manager for Vincent Wildlife Trust, said the new discovery was "fantastic news" and he felt "privileged to have witnessed it first-hand". A spokesperson for Sussex Bat Group said: "With no sightings in 2024, the species was thought to have said a final farewell to Britain." Conservationists have ringed the female bat to be able to identify it in future monitoring and research surveys. They are continuing to monitor the area for more individuals and roosts in the hope of finding an established breeding population. Daniel Whitby, a bat ecologist, said: "The finding of a female is rewarding and a remarkable discovery which brings huge hope for this species. "By providing suitable roosts, restoring habitats and reducing anthropogenic threats such as artificial light and noise, this species might just stand a chance of recovering." The original male of the species has not been spotted in the area since 2023. Nick Gray, from Sussex Bat Group, said: "The site is undoubtedly of national significance and we are so lucky to have it here within the South Downs National Park." Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@ or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250. Bat thought extinct in UK found in rail tunnel Colony of rare bats discovered UK bat species 'recovering or stable' Vincent Wildlife Group Sussex Bat Group
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Could the UK's loneliest bat finally have a mate?
What was thought to be the last bat of its species in the UK may finally have a mate, according to bat experts. The greater mouse-eared bat (Myotis myotis) was declared extinct in 1992, before a single male was found in a disused railway tunnel in West Sussex in 2002 and another in 2023, A female of the species has now been spotted in the same area in the South Downs National Park, the first in the wild since the 1980s. Daniel Hargreaves, bat programme manager for Vincent Wildlife Trust, said the new discovery was "fantastic news" and he felt "privileged to have witnessed it first-hand". A spokesperson for Sussex Bat Group said: "With no sightings in 2024, the species was thought to have said a final farewell to Britain." Conservationists have ringed the female bat to be able to identify it in future monitoring and research surveys. They are continuing to monitor the area for more individuals and roosts in the hope of finding an established breeding population. Daniel Whitby, a bat ecologist, said: "The finding of a female is rewarding and a remarkable discovery which brings huge hope for this species. "By providing suitable roosts, restoring habitats and reducing anthropogenic threats such as artificial light and noise, this species might just stand a chance of recovering." The original male of the species has not been spotted in the area since 2023. Nick Gray, from Sussex Bat Group, said: "The site is undoubtedly of national significance and we are so lucky to have it here within the South Downs National Park." Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@ or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250. Bat thought extinct in UK found in rail tunnel Colony of rare bats discovered UK bat species 'recovering or stable' Vincent Wildlife Group Sussex Bat Group
