Harvest Mice Return to Ealing Thanks to Successful Conservation Partnership

On Saturday June 28th, another big step was reached in local wildlife conservation as 70 harvest mice bred at New Forest Wildlife Park found their new home in carefully restored Ealing habitats. This release (200 in total) represents the latest chapter in an ongoing collaboration with Ealing Wildlife Group and their dedicated breeding programme.

Curator of Collections at New Forest Wildlife Park, Jason Palmer said “It was a privilege to be able to attend the release of 70 of our harvest mice, back to the wild at Yeading Brook Meadows - giving Britain's smallest native rodent a fighting chance. We are proud to be part of this ongoing project run by Ealing Wildlife Group, supporting the reintroduction of harvest mice to the area as part of a larger habitat and wildlife restoration project. We're not just releasing animals, together we're rebuilding entire ecosystems and proving that local conservation efforts can make a real difference.”

Annual monitoring continues to demonstrate the harvest mice programme effectiveness, with released populations establishing themselves and contributing meaningfully to local biodiversity recovery.

These conservation efforts address a critical challenge facing British wildlife. Harvest mice have experienced significant population decline nationwide, primarily due to shrinking natural habitats. Projects like this Ealing initiative demonstrate how targeted intervention can help reverse these troubling trends.

The success of this programme exemplifies the power of collaborative conservation work. By bringing together expertise from wildlife parks, local conservation groups, and community partners, meaningful progress is being made in protecting Britain's native species.

Those interested in learning more about this conservation work and supporting similar initiatives can find additional information at www.ealingwildlifegroup.com, where Ealing Wildlife Group shares details about their ongoing projects and partnership opportunities.