Stoat sighted in Sanday
The sighting of a stoat on Sanday, last month, is being investigated by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH).
According to SNH, the sighting – on the north end of Sanday – was reported through a Facebook post on the Stoats in Orkney page in late December 2016.
SNH staff then spoke to the person who saw the animal, and are reasonably confident it was either a stoat or a weasel.
Since stoats were first recorded on Orkney in 2010, they have spread across the mainland and the connected isles. They are skilled hunters and their presence could have a devastating effect on Orkney’s rich and diverse wildlife.
SNH staff say they are working together with the Sanday ranger and the RSPB to set up monitoring equipment and a localised trapping grid around the area where the potential stoat sighting was made.
“Tracking tunnels with ink pads to record animal footprints will be used, as well as a wide range of other monitoring tools,” they explained.
“The trapping effort is aimed at capturing any stoats that may be present on Sanday, and will adhere to high standards of animal welfare.”
They added that any evidence of stoats on non-linked isles like Sanday is problematic. If allowed to colonise, the stoats could considerably increase the threat to Orkney’s native wildlife, as well as increasing the costs and complexity of the project to remove them.
Graham Neville, SNH Northern Isles and North Highland operations manager, is urging folk to volunteer to help set up the monitoring and trapping on the island.
“If anyone on Sanday is interested in helping, please get in touch with us in the Kirkwall office on 01856 875302 or with the Sanday Ranger on 01857 600359,” he said.