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If they can track where water voles are located in the wild, they can make adjustments to the environment - like removing invasive conifers from wetland habitats or fencing off certain riverbanks to stop sheep grazing.

Each animal is fitted with a GPS tracker and an alarm that trains them to keep to areas that need grazing and away from sensitive parts of the forest.

There has been a troubling recent pattern of violence between local farmers and herders, with the farmers accusing the latter of grazing animals on their land.

"We've outgrown the site. There's only three acres at Pine Tree Farm and we were desperate for more grazing."

A pedigree livestock farmer plans to take legal action against East Midlands Airport, claiming a leaking pipe polluted the brook that runs through his rented grazing land.