England's rarest ant nest stolen from protected nature reserve in Devon: Here's what happened

In a bizarre incident, a nest belonging to England's rarest ant species has been stolen from a protected nature reserve in Devon. According to BBC, Devon Wildlife Trust said that the nest of narrow-headed ants was illegally removed from Chudleigh Knighton Heath in south Devon. They described the place as the species' last remaining stronghold in England. The disappearance was discovered in mid-October when researchers conducting routine inspections found a hollow where the nest had previously stood. A single narrow-headed ant nest can contain between 1,000 and 5,000 ants, including one or more breeding queens capable of living for up to 25 years.

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PC Lucy Wyatt, from Devon and Cornwall Police's rural affairs team, said that damaging or disturbing legally protected sites could constitute a criminal offence. Police have urged anyone with information about suspicious activity at the reserve to contact them on 101, quoting crime reference 50260284768.

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Why is the theft a major concern?

Julia Balfour, species recovery officer at Devon Wildlife Trust, described the incident as a "significant loss for this species" and said it was "every bit as serious as illegal raids on wild bird eggs". According to a statement issued by Devon Wildlife Trust on November 2, its latest survey recorded 142 active nests at the reserve. Laura Krusin, conservation officer for Buglife's Moor Invertebrates Project, warned that removing nests could have a "catastrophic impact on the population". She explained that the insects survive at only one known location in Devon and a handful of sites in Scotland.