Theme park’s zoo has provided a new habitat for the endangered species
Flamingo Land has created an area for the endangered tansy beetle to help expand its population(Image: Kieran Holliday)
Flamingo Land continues to strengthen its commitment to native species conservation with a new habitat area for a tiny endangered creature, within its grounds. The tansy beetle, often called the “Jewel of the Riverbank”, can now find sanctuary within the Yorkshire theme park’s zoo.
The habitat creation forms part of a larger project by the Yorkshire Derwent Catchment Partnership (YDCP), a collaborative initiative that Flamingo Land is part of, aimed at restoring and enhancing river catchments across the region. With additional collaboration from the Species Recovery Trust and the Tansy Beetle Action Group, 50 tansy beetles were released on site in early May.
The tansy beetle is an iridescent green leaf beetle, once found widely along Britain’s riversides. Today, its UK population is largely confined to a small stretch of the River Ouse around York, where it is under constant threat from habitat loss, flooding, and invasive species.
The beetle is dependent on the tansy plant for food and reproduction, meaning its survival is directly tied to the availability of this once-common riverside herb. To support the species’ recovery, Flamingo Land has planted a carefully-managed tansy garden within the zoo area where the beetles have been released and are now thriving.
This plot is designed not only to support existing invertebrate biodiversity but also to act as a protected site for the tansy beetle. By creating safe, well-connected habitats, the project aims to facilitate the beetle’s gradual dispersal and improve its long-term survival prospects.
Kieran Holliday, head of conservation, education and research at Flamingo Land, said: “This area represents a small but vital piece of the puzzle. We’re trying to restore the missing building blocks for a species that is clinging to survival.
“With the right plants in the right places, we can begin to offer new lifelines for the tansy beetle. It has taken five years to get to this point with planting taking place in 2024 and the beetles being released in May this year, and we have already seen signs of success with tansy beetle larvae seen, proving they have settled in nicely and are breeding.”
Kieran said: “Over winter these amazing beetles burrow underground to beat the cold temperatures and will remerge in the spring. This enclosure not only serves as a stepping stone, helping the tansy beetle move beyond its current stronghold, but also as an area for education, where guests can further their knowledge of this intriguing species and the amazing wildlife found in Britain.”
This project follows on from Flamingo Land’s wider conservation success with the Yorkshire Crayfish Hatchery, the Yorkshire Beaver Facility and extensive surveying and wildlife management on site, including documenting the first harvest mouse with the Mammal Society in North Yorkshire in over five years.