Two 14-year-olds recruit Devon children to raise harvest mice at home for release into the wild
Devon teenagers Eva and Emily, both 14, are looking for 20 children aged 8 to 13 to breed 250 harvest mice at home, guided by ecologists, for release into the wild in September 2027.
Two 14-year-olds in Devon, England, are recruiting 20 children aged 8 to 13 to breed endangered native wildlife in their own homes, starting with 250 harvest mice to be released into the wild in September 2027, according to their project, Wild Pets. The children will be guided by ecologists from Derek Gow's Species Recovery Centre.
It started in their garages and bedrooms
Eva Wishart and Emily Smith first bred harvest mice themselves, in garages and bedrooms, before releasing them into a nature reserve near Tiverton. Their earlier work was paid for with a £500 grant from the Devon Environment Foundation, according to their crowdfunding page.
Now they want to turn the idea into a network. Wild Pets describes itself as a group of children helping Britain's declining wildlife by raising endangered native species at home. The first intake, for Devon, will be the first "Wild Kids".
Harvest mice are in decline in Britain
The harvest mouse is classed as Near Threatened in Great Britain by the Mammal Society. Releasing captive-bred animals is one way conservationists are trying to restore populations of declining native species.
The project is supported by the Devon Environment Foundation, Mid Devon District Council, the Naturesave Trust, Consano Earth and Wild About Devon. Broadcaster and naturalist Chris Packham called it "a truly sensational idea".
Other species could follow
The founders have said they hope to extend the model to other species later. Captive breeding and release are helping other British animals as well, such as the 50 wildcats released in the Cairngorms. For now, the focus is on finding the first 20 Devon children and preparing the mice for their release in 2027.
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