AnnualReportfor2024Final2025 - Flipbook - Page 13
Photo: Pine marten ©David Baird
Society, Fauna & Flora, and the Danube Delta National
Institute for Research and Development to look at the
feasibility of using conservation translocations to restore
populations of European mink to the southern Carpathians.
We are using remotely sensed data and knowledge of
the species’ ecology to model and assess the functional
connectivity of three areas in the southern Carpathians that
are being considered for reintroduction. The model outputs
show us where European mink are likely to move through
the landscape and where this is less likely, based on habitat
and potential barriers such as roads and other infrastructure.
The model results are being ground-truthed by 昀椀eld surveys
and re昀椀ned with 昀椀eld data. Field surveys are also designed
to detect American mink if they are present at these sites.
Analyses of this data will enable us to decide whether this
population is suf昀椀ciently large and robust to sustain the
removal of enough animals for conservation translocations
to other areas in Romania.
D VWT continues to work successfully with project partners,
Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and Wildwood Trust,
to investigate stakeholder perspectives on a wildcat
reintroduction in Wales. VWT is leading on stakeholder and
community engagement with Nature Network Funding.
The qualitative study provides a platform for representatives
from communities of interest — eg, farmers and land owners,
domestic cat owners and wildlife organisations — including
in the vicinity of the proposed release sites to contribute
their thoughts on wildcats and the potential for their
reintroduction in Wales through group workshops and semistructured interviews. The outcome of the study will be used
to inform the decision on whether the prospect of a Welsh
reintroduction should be explored in greater detail.
Vincent Wildlife Trust Annual Report and Financial Statements 2024 13
