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<u>NEWS WALES </u>(Powys, UK) 26 Februry 07 Glamorgan gives rare newts path to survival
A Vale of Glamorgan Council project, which has saved hundreds of rare great crested newts from going down the drain, could be adopted at similar sites across the country.
In 2005, the Council Highways Division pioneered a new approach to protecting the internationally threatened species which was centred on a local authority-owned pond which is home to South Wales' largest population of the newts.
The newts (Triturus cristatus) needed somewhere to hunt for food and to shelter during cold or very dry times of the year and, to get to these sites, were forced to cross a nearby road and ended up falling into the kerbside drains.
Undertaken through a partnership between the Council Ecology team, the Vale voluntary newt surveyor, Stephen Lowe, and the Council Highways Division, with match funding from the Countryside Council for Wales, the work involved moving the drains away from the kerb, leaving a little ledge for the newts.
The problem was initially highlighted by Stephen Lowe, who reported that hundreds of newts a year were starving and dying after falling down the drains. Now, recently published survey results suggest that the kerb changes have had a dramatic and successful effect, with just 65 newts found in the drains in 2006 compared to 318 in the year before works were undertaken.
Operational Manager (Highways) Keith Jones said: "These works demonstrate the commitment that the Vale Council has made to conserving the great crested newt.
"The drain modifications have proved to be a great leap forward in protecting this rare species in the Vale, and, hopefully, this innovative solution can now be adopted at many more sites in Wales and across the rest of the UK."
Britain's largest and most spectacular newts species, the great crested newt is protected by UK and European wildlife law. The dragon-like great crested newt is distinguished from others by its black, warty, white-speckled skin. During the spring, males develop a high crest along their back, with a serrated edge and silvery blue streaks along their tail.
http://www.newswales.co.uk/?section=Environment&F=1&id=10915
A Vale of Glamorgan Council project, which has saved hundreds of rare great crested newts from going down the drain, could be adopted at similar sites across the country.
In 2005, the Council Highways Division pioneered a new approach to protecting the internationally threatened species which was centred on a local authority-owned pond which is home to South Wales' largest population of the newts.
The newts (Triturus cristatus) needed somewhere to hunt for food and to shelter during cold or very dry times of the year and, to get to these sites, were forced to cross a nearby road and ended up falling into the kerbside drains.
Undertaken through a partnership between the Council Ecology team, the Vale voluntary newt surveyor, Stephen Lowe, and the Council Highways Division, with match funding from the Countryside Council for Wales, the work involved moving the drains away from the kerb, leaving a little ledge for the newts.
The problem was initially highlighted by Stephen Lowe, who reported that hundreds of newts a year were starving and dying after falling down the drains. Now, recently published survey results suggest that the kerb changes have had a dramatic and successful effect, with just 65 newts found in the drains in 2006 compared to 318 in the year before works were undertaken.
Operational Manager (Highways) Keith Jones said: "These works demonstrate the commitment that the Vale Council has made to conserving the great crested newt.
"The drain modifications have proved to be a great leap forward in protecting this rare species in the Vale, and, hopefully, this innovative solution can now be adopted at many more sites in Wales and across the rest of the UK."
Britain's largest and most spectacular newts species, the great crested newt is protected by UK and European wildlife law. The dragon-like great crested newt is distinguished from others by its black, warty, white-speckled skin. During the spring, males develop a high crest along their back, with a serrated edge and silvery blue streaks along their tail.
http://www.newswales.co.uk/?section=Environment&F=1&id=10915