Wildlife experts have confirmed that water voles have returned to every county in England, following the final release of 60 voles, bred in captivity, into an area of the Bude river catchment in Cornwall.

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The release, by the Environment Agency and Westland Countryside Stewards, means that there is now an established breeding vole colony in Cornwall for the first time since 1989, marking a return of the tiny water mammal to every county in England.

The reintroduction programme began in 2013 as water voles were highly unlikely to naturally colonise in Cornwall due to the distance to the next nearest population in East Devon.

Water vole populations have been in decline since the 1970s due to long-term habitat loss, predation by American mink and extreme weather. Statistics released by wildlife trusts last year showed that the populations could have fallen by as much as a fifth since 2011. Populations in the West of England are thought to be especially vulnerable.

The Environment Agency's National Conservation Manager Alastair Driver commented, "Habitat creation and restoration projects are hugely valuable for most wildlife, there are some species for which introduction programmes are necessary simply because populations have become so fragmented and the species is not very mobile."

The Environment Agency spokesperson also said the improving health of England's rivers is playing a part in the voles' success. Animals released into the River Axe in Devon in 2009 have flourished thanks to habitat management.