Rare Ant Colony Stolen From Last English Stronghold

Thieves stole a colony of up to 5,000 rare narrow-headed ants from England's final surviving nature reserve site.

Conservationists reported that a colony of up to 5,000 narrow-headed ants was dug up and stolen from a nature reserve in Devon. The site is the final remaining location in England where the endangered insect species survives in the wild. Officials condemned the theft as a reckless act that severely damages years of recovery efforts.

• The locationThe colony was taken from Chudleigh Knighton Heath nature reserve in south Devon.
• The impactConservation staff warned that the removal threatens years of delicate species recovery work.

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