Science · Island biosecurityRousay stoat trapping: Second animal killed after hopes of a single intruderAired October 24, 2026 at 9:46 AM UTCWritten October 24, 2026 at 9:57 AM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:07Trappers have caught and killed a second stoat on Rousé.0:10Two predators have now been removed from an island where conservationists had hoped0:13there was only one.0:14They're protecting ground nesting birds and a vole found nowhere else in the world.0:18They still have to work out whether more stoats remain and how the animals reached0:21the island.0:22A trail camera picked up the second animal near Loch of Lumichin on October 21st.0:26Trappers caught it nearby two days later.0:29On October 23rd, the first animal had been caught near the same loch on October 9th.0:34The Orkney Native Wildlife Project had said it was increasingly confident that the0:38first animal was the only stoat on Rousseau.0:41The second capture overturned that hope.0:43Removing the first animal had ended a months-long search, but another predator was0:47still there.0:48The project confirmed a stoat's presence on May 7th after potential sightings in0:53April.0:54October 9th brought the first capture.0:56October 21st brought the second detection, followed by capture on October 23rd.1:01Trappers, local volunteers, and the island community have all helped the response.1:06Project manager Sarah Sankey called the second sighting deeply concerning,1:10especially so soon after the first removal.1:12The project stepped up eradication efforts after the detection.1:15Two animals have been caught, but nobody has announced that Rousseau is clear.1:19Stoats prey on ground nesting birds and the Orkney vole.1:23On these islands, that puts an introduced predator alongside wildlife with1:27particular conservation value.1:29The vole is a subspecies found only in Orkney, and it's larger and heavier than the1:33common vole.1:34Orkney is an important breeding area for curlews, red-throated divers, hen harriers,1:39and short-eared owls across the archipelago, protecting those birds, and the vole is1:44a central reason for removing stoats before they spread further.1:47Stoats are native to mainland Scotland and other parts of the United Kingdom.1:51They're related to weasels and otters and usually hunt rabbits and small rodents1:55such as mice.1:56Their arrival puts that hunting ability into an island ecosystem where they aren't1:59native.2:00Female stoats can produce litters of six to twelve kits a year.2:03That capacity to multiply explains the urgency of finding every animal.2:08Whether any have bred on Ruse is unknown.2:10Stoats were first recorded in Orkney in 2010.2:13They became established on mainland Orkney, Bury, and South Ronald Say.2:17The wider removal operation now stretches far beyond the two animals found on2:21Russell.2:22The project says it has removed more than 9,100 stoats across Orkney since 2019.2:27Each removal takes out a predator, but even that cumulative total can't tell2:30conservationists whether another animal is still hiding on Ruse.2:34The operation uses trail cameras, traps, and dogs trained to detect stoat droppings.2:38Its aim is to remove every last stoat.2:41The project targets a stoat-free Orkney by 2030.2:44Though Ruse has no announced clearance date, the National Lottery Heritage Fund2:48committed another £2.5 million in August 2024.2:52More than £1.5 million also came through the Scottish Government's Nature2:56Restoration Fund, managed by NatureScott.2:59Those were commitments to support the work.3:01The wider program reportedly costs £15 million.3:05That figure isn't a complete audited spending total.3:07The earlier funding awards describe money committed, so they can't be treated as a3:11running account of what has already been spent.3:13Stoats are strong swimmers.3:15Conservationists say a crossing from mainland Orkney through Ainhallow Sound is one3:20possible explanation for their arrival on Ruse,3:23but nobody knows how either animal got there.3:25Finding both near the same lock doesn't reveal their route.3:28The project's biosecurity work aims to stop stoats spreading to more islands and3:32prevent their return after removal.3:35That means an island's protection depends both on finding animals already there and3:38detecting fresh arrivals.3:40Public sightings help direct the search alongside cameras, dog searches, and3:44information from the trap network.3:46People can report sightings by phone, through the project's website, or through the3:50Stoats in Orkney Facebook group.3:52In some previous responses, detailed morning sightings have led to traps being3:56installed by lunchtime and an animal caught overnight.3:59That shows how quickly a useful sighting can lead to removal, though response times4:03vary.4:04Ruse's second capture proves the first animal wasn't alone.4:07Whether more remain and how to prevent another arrival are still unresolved.Explore with 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