France: heroic hamsters help biodiversity

A new motorway is using hamsters to help the environment. Hamsters are good for other animals and plants in the area.

The motorway, which is close to Strasbourg, is 24 kilometres long. It was built after 40 years of local opposition. And new rules made the builders take action for the environment.

European hamsters help other animals and plants to do well. The number of hamsters is a sign of a healthy environment.

PhD student Timothée Gérard explains:

Timothée Gérard: "We know that if the hamster can reproduce, it will positively impact the insect community, the annelids community, the earthworms. These species also help crops. We expect that where the hamster is doing well, we'll see the crops benefit, with less need for fertilisers, pesticides, etc. and more viable ecosystems for birds, for micromammals, for insects."

European hamsters used to be hunted. Populations fell, and in 2020 they went on the red list. Vinci Autoroutes, which built the motorway, wants to help numbers increase. Arnaud Guillemin's their environmental manager.

Arnaud Guillemin: "As it's a protected species, we have very low populations. The idea of our operation is that the hamsters which we release reproduce - to recreate a new generation and increase the local population."

The motorway runs through fields where wheat is grown. Wheat's the main food for European hamsters. This made them a great animal to introduce.

Experts focus on helping these hamsters do well. They think carefully about how to help them. Celia Schappler's managing their introduction.

Celia Schappler: "We will release them in lines, alternating between male and female. We prepare which hamster will go into which burrow, to avoid inbreeding. We never release two hamsters from the same litter on the same plot."

If it's successful, the project will help hamsters and the environment.

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