Nest of up to 5,000 narrow-headed ants stolen from last site in England where species survives
Conservation researchers find hole and 'clear signs of digging with a spade' at Chudleigh Knighton Heath; theft reported to police
A nest holding up to 5,000 of England's rarest ants has been stolen from a nature reserve in south Devon, the last place in England where the species survives, the Devon Wildlife Trust has said. Conservation researchers found the nest of narrow-headed ants had been dug up during regular checks in mid-October, leaving a hole and "clear signs of digging with a spade," the charity said. The theft has been reported to Devon and Cornwall police.