AssetID: 56124949
Headline: Ant and deliver! Endangered U.K. insects' nest stolen in bizarre heist
Caption: BY MARK WORGAN Thieves in Devon have pulled off one of Britain’s oddest ever heists - stealing an ant’s nest that was home to one of the country’s rarest insects. The criminals struck at the last stronghold of England’s rarest ant species, taking a nest belonging to Narrow-headed Ants, according to Devon Wildlife Trust. The nest was removed without permission from its Chudleigh Knighton Heath nature reserve in south Devon. A single nest can hold a colony of between 1,000 and 5,000 ants, along with one or more breeding queens which can live for as many as 25 years. The theft was discovered in mid-October when conservation researchers carrying out regular checks on the ants found a hollow where a known nest had been. The surrounding ground showed clear signs of digging with a spade. Julia Balfour, Devon Wildlife Trust’s Species Recovery Officer for Narrow-headed Ants. Julia said: “The removal of an established nest is a significant loss for this species. Narrow-headed Ant colonies develop slowly, and each mature nest, with its long-lived queens, represents many years of growth that cannot quickly be replaced. This is a crime every bit as serious as illegal raids on wild bird eggs. It shows the pressures that our nature and wild places are under.” Chudleigh Knighton Heath is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), while Narrow-headed Ants are also a Section 41 species, Nationally Rare, and Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List of species. The deliberate disturbance or removal of material from the nature reserve is breaking the law and is something Devon Wildlife Trust is taking very seriously. The theft has been reported to Devon and Cornwall Police, who are investigating. The nature reserve is the last stronghold for the Narrow-headed Ant in England. A small number of colonies still exist in Scotland, including on the Royal Family’s Balmoral Estate. Balfour added: “Our most recent survey recorded 142 active nests on the nature reserve, so every nest matters. This is the last population of Narrow-headed Ants in England, and losing even one colony sets back years of careful work by our staff, volunteers and partners.” The species, which is named after the distinctive ‘pinched’ look to their heads, was once much more widespread but has seen its numbers dwindle over the past 100 years as its favoured heathland homes have been lost to building development and agricultural change. PC Lucy Wyatt is part of the Rural Affairs team at Devon & Cornwall Police. She said: “Sites of Special Scientific Interest are legally protected and it is a criminal offence for any person to intentionally or recklessly damage, destroy, or disturb the protected area. “If you’ve seen anything suspicious in recent weeks or have any information that may assist us with our investigation, please contact us by calling 101 or filling in a form on the Devon & Cornwall Police website, quoting crime reference: 50260284768.” The ant nest theft comes at a time when conservationists are aiming to secure the future of Narrow-headed Ants locally. A collaboration between Devon Wildlife Trust and Buglife began in the summer after support was received from the UK Government as part of the 'Wild Again: Restoring England's Wildlife' initiative. Devon Wildlife Trust says that it is reviewing the security of the site and will be continuing its regular checks conducted by staff and volunteers.
Keywords: feature,photo,video,ants,heist,weird,devon,insects,nature,natural world
PersonInImage: Narrow-headed Ants in their nest.