HELP is being sought for a survey of a threatened mammal in North Yorkshire.

The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust is about to begin an urgent survey of water voles in the lowland Swale and Ure area, and is calling for help from local people.

Yorkshire has lost 97 per cent of its water voles since 1990, but the trust is working to identify remaining colonies, conserve the places they live, and to create new havens to halt their disappearance from the county.

Sylvia Jay, the trust's water for wildlife project officer, said: "This survey is a vital part of our work to protect this threatened species. To find remaining water voles I need to survey the ditches which feed into the Swale and Ure from Catterick down to Ripon and I'm asking for farmers and land owners to help by allowing me on to their land between now and October.

"Also, if anyone thinks they have water voles in their water courses, or has seen one from a public footpath, I'd be grateful if they could call me on 0113 278 1724 or email yorksotters@cix.co.uk

"Once we know where water voles are, we'll be offering advice to landowners on how they can help conserve them. If conditions aren't right, our vole populations will never get back to former levels.

"We want to ensure that there are corridors linking any existing colonies to aggregate extraction sites which are being restored to nature reserves. If they can spread to these they will be safer from mink."

Funding for the project comes from English Nature's Aggreg-ates Levy Sustainability Fund.

Water voles numbers have dropped because of loss of their riverbank habitat and being preyed upon by the non-native American mink.

Many people mistake the endangered water vole for the brown rat and accidentally poison them or disturb their burrows.

Anyone wanting more information about Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and its work to protect wildlife in wetlands can phone 01904 659570 or visit

www.yorkshire-wildlife-trust.org.uk

Updated: 10:56 Wednesday, July 09, 2003