Guernsey's feral ferrets studied with camera traps — SkimNews
Get the Health newsletter
Daily health & science — research, biotech, public health, the studies worth knowing. Free.
- La Société Guernesiaise deployed 15 motion-activated camera traps across Guernsey, focusing on areas like La Claire Mare Nature Reserve where ferrets have attacked wildlife.
- Leah Cottell led the research project and said the image review process has been 'incredibly time-consuming' but revealed ferrets frequent water sites to prey on ground-nesting bird eggs.
- La Société Guernesiaise received funding from the government's Strategy for Nature to study the feral ferrets, one of 11 local environmental projects supported last year.
- Feral ferrets in Guernsey are not native and likely stem from domestic releases, possibly dating back to the 1980s, with populations expanding over time.
- The research team expects it will take months to analyze all the photos collected, after which a full report on the ferret population will be published.
- Strategy for Nature fund bosses announced the next round of environmental funding is open, with applications due by 25 October 2025.
Why it matters: Conservationists gain critical data on an invasive species threatening native birds, while the government's funding timeline creates urgency for local groups to act before the 25 October deadline. This study could shape future control measures.
Ask SkimNews
