A Huge Win for 348 Crayfish at Northumberland Zoo
They may not have big cute eyes, fluffy fur or a starring role in our animal encounters, but White-clawed Crayfish have been at the centre of some very big conservation work here at Northumberland Zoo.
After more than a year of specialist care, 348 endangered crayfish have now been released into carefully selected ark sites in Northumberland, safe locations where new populations can be established away from some of the threats facing them in the wild.
From emergency rescue to release
The journey began in November 2024, when an emergency rescue saw 53 female crayfish carrying eggs, known as berried females, arrive at the Zoo. This was in addition to three berried females already being cared for as part of our existing conservation work.
Once the eggs hatched, the craylings remained at the Zoo, where our keeper team carefully reared them until they were ready to be released.
That sounds fairly straightforward... but caring for hundreds of tiny craylings is anything but!
The project requires specialist daily care, careful monitoring of water quality and plenty of problem solving along the way. In fact, our crayfish project takes more than 1,500 hours of staff time every year, that’s more than any other species in our care!
But seeing 348 of them heading off into the wild made every hour worthwhile.
Why does this matter for our native crayfish?
The White-clawed Crayfish is Britain's only native freshwater crayfish, and an important part of our rivers and waterways. They help keep waterways clean and are also an important food source for native wildlife, including European Otters.
Within 10 miles of the Zoo is the River Wansbeck, home to one of the UK's most important remaining populations. However, these crayfish face serious threats, primarily from invasive signal crayfish which can carry the devastating crayfish plague.
The craylings have now been released into specially selected ark sites, where they can establish new populations away from some of these threats.
This release is a huge success, but it is also part of a much bigger effort to protect one of Northumberland's most important native species.
Watch their journey
We've followed the story of these craylings from their early days at the Zoo through to their release into the wild.
Watch the full journey in our YouTube video:
How can you help?
Protecting our native crayfish isn't something that only happens in zoos and conservation organisations. Anyone who spends time in and around our rivers and waterways can play a part.
The most important thing to remember is:
Check. Clean. Dry.
Before moving between waterways:
Check your clothing and equipment for mud, plants or animals.
Clean everything thoroughly, paying particular attention to damp or difficult to reach areas.
Dry everything for as long as possible before using it somewhere else.
These simple steps can help prevent the spread of invasive species and diseases, including crayfish plague. You can find the full Check, Clean, Dry guidance from the GB Non-Native Species Secretariat
You can also learn more about our ongoing crayfish conservation work on our White-clawed Crayfish conservation page.
And, of course, if you're visiting the Zoo, don't forget to stop by and see some of the animals involved in one of our biggest conservation successes.
