Elusive mammal rescued after getting trapped in canal lock

A water vole was rescued by the RSPCA after being trapped on a pallet in a disused canal lock in Chester.

The animal welfare charity was contacted by a member of the public who noticed the vole had been trapped since the previous evening.

RSPCA inspector Leanne Cragg attended the lock, off New Crane Road, on Saturday 23 May. She said: “When I arrived I could see the vole 2.5 metres down cleaning himself on the pallet. There was no way the vole could have gotten out on his own as the sides were very steep, but I was able to safely get him in my net and bring him to safety.

“Thankfully he wasn’t injured and there are plenty of suitable river banks with vegetation around the River Dee so I was able to release him straight back into the wild.

“Water voles are quite elusive animals and we don’t rescue a lot of them so it was fascinating to see one, even though it wasn’t in better circumstances! I’m just glad he could be safely released back into his natural habitat.”

The following day, Leanne and a colleague, Inspector Caren Goodman-James, returned to the same place as four ducklings had also been trapped in the lock.

Leanne said: “Sadly mother duck was nowhere to be seen, despite these ducklings being monitored by two members of the public called Donna and Claire, who have been fantastic in feeding the ducklings while they were without their mother.

“We managed to catch all four of the ducklings and took them to our Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre, in Nantwich, for a check-over and a bit of feeding up before they can be released.”

Leanne added: “I have made the Canal and River Trust aware of this disused lock as sadly this particular part of the canal is a hotspot for wildlife.”

The RSPCA is continuing its vital work rescuing animals during the Coronavirus crisis, with our frontline animal rescuers designated as key workers by the Government. To help the RSPCA keep rescuing animals like these and keep our animal hospitals and centres running for emergency treatment and round the clock care through these unprecedented times, please donate whatever you can spare at www.rspca.org.uk/covid.