Rousay teamwork removes a threat to island wildlife

Months of work by trappers and island volunteers have removed a non-native stoat from Rousay, helping protect an Orkney island important for breeding birds.

The male was found near Loch of Loomachun on 9 October. The Orcadian reports that the team expanded its traps around reported sightings, using dog searches and cameras to narrow the search.

Residents checked equipment, reported signs and allowed access to land. The project’s update says that support made removing the animal much easier.

Stoats are not native to Orkney and threaten birds including curlews and red-throated divers, as well as the islands’ distinctive vole. The programme uses lethal traps, housed in boxes designed to reduce accidental catches of other animals.

Finding one stoat does not establish that no others remain. Intensive checks will continue, followed by two years of monitoring before Rousay can be declared free of them.

For now, a confirmed removal shows how local knowledge and patient fieldwork can tackle a specific threat to island wildlife.

Sources

• The Orcadian — capture and fieldwork
• Orkney Native Wildlife Project — dated update, wildlife and monitoring
• Orkney Native Wildlife Project — trapping method