50,000 eels released at Old Moor

THOUSANDS of slippery customers were spotted in Rotherham this week as 50,000 young eels took to the water at a nature reserve.

After arriving at the RSPB Old Moor reserve at Manvers, the special delivery were tipped into the on-site lakes in an effort to boost the flagging population of this once-common species.

Eels have seen a 95 per cent decline in numbers and are becoming an endangered species across the country—and the Rotherham area is no different.

Wildlife experts said that increased pollution in the River Dearne had damaged the local population of eels, which had previously lived there in huge numbers.

The Don Rivers Trust was given £92,000 of Government Funding towards boosting the eel population and teamed up with the the RSPB to identify suitable lakes and ponds for them.

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