A nest of England's rarest ant species has been stolen, a conservation charity has said.
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charity → steal → species
The nest of Narrow-headed ants was removed from Chudleigh Knighton Heath nature reserve in south Devon.
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nest → remove → Devon
Devon Wildlife Trust said the theft was discovered in mid-October when researchers found a hollow where a known nest had been.
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nest → say → hollow
It is believed that the thieves used a spade to dig the nest out and take it away.
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thieves → believe → it
Narrow-headed ants are listed on the IUCN red list as nationally rare and near threatened with extinction.
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ants → list → extinction
A single nest can hold a colony of between 1,000 and 5,000 ants, along with one or more breeding queens, which can live for up to 25 years.
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which → hold → years
The nature reserve is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest and removing any material from it is against the law.
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removing → remove → law
Julia Balfour, the trust's species recovery officer, said: 'This is a crime every bit as serious as illegal raids on wild bird eggs.
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This → say → eggs
'
Narrow-headed ants are named on the ICUN red list as nationally rare and near threatened with extinction.
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ants → name → extinction
Just a small number of colonies exist in Scotland, including on the Royal Family's Balmoral Estate.
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number → exist → Estate
The species, which is named after the distinctive 'pinched' look to their heads, was once much more widespread but has seen its numbers dwindle over the past 100 years.
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numbers → name → years
Particularly as their favoured heathland homes have been lost to building development and agricultural change.
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homes → lose → development
Ms Balfour added: 'The removal of an established nest is a significant loss for this species.
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removal → add → species
Narrow-headed Ant colonies develop slowly, and each mature nest, with its long-lived queens, represents many years of growth that cannot quickly be replaced.
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that → develop → growth
Our most recent survey recorded 142 active nests on the nature reserve, so every nest matters.
'
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nest → record → reserve
This is the last population of Narrow-headed Ants in England, and losing even one colony sets back years of careful work by our staff, volunteers and partners.
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losing → lose → partners
'This incident makes us even more determined to ensure that our work to secure their future is a success.'
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work → make → future
The theft has been reported to Devon and Cornwall Police and the Trust is asking anyone who might have information about the incident to come forward.
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who → report → incident
Steve Hussey at Devon Wildlife Trust said: 'We're unsure why anyone would take a Narrow-headed ant nest from our nature reserve.
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anyone → say → reserve
It may be that the nest was taken for someone's collection or perhaps in a misguided attempt to reintroduce the species at another site.
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nest → take → site
'Whatever their motive, this was a reckless act and places more pressure on an already rare and endangered species.
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this → place → species
People removing wildlife from our nature reserves is, sadly, far from an unusual occurrence.
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removing → remove → occurrence
But in most cases it is the removal of bird eggs or nestlings or the taking of rare fungi which we see.
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we → see → which
This is the first time we've experienced the loss of an ant nest.
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we → experience → nest
The scene of the theft at Chudleigh Knighton Heath nature reserve where a nest of Narrow-headed Ants was removed
Conservation efforts have been stepped up locally to try and protect the future of the ants.
A collaboration between Devon Wildlife Trust and Buglife began in the summer after support was received from the UK Government as part of the 'Wild Again: Restoring England's Wildlife' initiative.
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support → remove → initiative
Laura Krusin, Buglife conservation officer, said: 'Narrow-headed Ants are an extremely rare species, only known from one site in Devon and a handful of sites in Scotland.
'
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Ants → say → Scotland
Therefore, removal of any nests, can have a catastrophic impact on the population, putting even more pressure on an already threatened species.
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removal → have → species
Not only are the ants incredibly special, but Chudleigh Knighton Heath itself is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, for the ants and the other species it supports.
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it → support → ants
Any damage to the site or removal of material is criminal and should be treated as a serious offence.
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damage → treat → offence
'The destruction to this wonderful site and the removal of the Narrow-headed Ants that call it home is heartbreaking and highlights the threats still impacting these rare invertebrates!'
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that → call → invertebrates
PC Lucy Wyatt, from the rural affairs team at Devon & Cornwall Police, said: 'Sites of Special Scientific Interest are legally protected and it is a criminal offence for any person to intentionally or recklessly damage, destroy, or disturb the protected area.
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person → say → area
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