Which invasive predator coincided with the most rapid water vole decline (1980s-1990s)?
Answer
American mink (Mustela vison)
The population crash of the water vole in Great Britain occurred in distinct phases, with the most severe and rapid decline occurring during the 1980s and 1990s. This period directly corresponds with the widespread establishment and proliferation of the invasive American mink. Escaping from fur farms that began operating in the 1920s, the mink found the water vole to be a favoured and accessible prey item. Furthermore, the mink possesses the dangerous ability to pursue the voles directly into their established burrow systems, neutralizing the water vole's primary defense strategy of diving into the water.
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