�鶹��

A group of endangered water voles has been discovered in Lincolnshire.

The water vole population in the UK is thought to have fallen by as much as 90% since the 1950s - with only 875,000 thought to be left in the wild according to The People's Trust for Endangered Species.

So this new group of water voles is great news for conservationists!

Researchers believe that they have found as many as 30 pairs of voles. They hope these pairs will be able to breed and increase the vole population!

What is a water vole?

Water voles are a small, brown mammals with tiny ears and brown fur.

They are sometimes mistaken for rats, but unlike rats they have a furry tail and are typically smaller in size.

As their name suggests, they're often found along waterways like rivers, marshes and streams.

Scottish water voles have darker coats than those found elsewhere in England and Wales which are brown.

There are no water voles in Northern Ireland or on many of the UK's islands.

Possibly the most famous water voles of all is Ratty from The Wind in the Willows book series.

Hopes for the future

Conservationists are working hard to look after the current population and hope to see it grow in years to come.

Paige Donnelly, from the Lincolnshire Rivers Trust, said the discovery of the new group of voles shows that "there is potential for this beck to sustain larger populations".

There are plans to plant more wetland vegetation near Branston Beck, where the water voles were found, to help encourage the building of habitats.