Langstone, Hampshire: The pond is almost devoid of life, save for several of these magnificent greenish-grey segmented worms that have taken over the serene waters.
After several unsuccessful attempts at fixing the leaking problem, the locals have come together to replace the pond liner. Their main motivation? Getting rid of the pesky yellow flag iris that has taken over the pond.
The iris, a British native but an invasive species, has grown out of control, smothering delicate plants like miniature bulrushes, water mint and water forget-me-not, and leaving the pond practically lifeless.
In a bid to restore the ecosystem, the locals have banded together to hack through the irises and bail out the water, hoping to find some of the pond’s previous inhabitants. Unfortunately, their search only uncovered horse leeches (Haemopis sanguisuga) and the greenish-grey worms mentioned earlier.
While the leeches are a sight to behold, with some hiding beneath pebbles and others burrowing into the silt at the pond’s bottom, the locals are unsure about their new, unwanted neighbors. It seems that the horse leeches have taken over the pond in the absence of other aquatic creatures, which does not bode well for anyone hoping to enjoy a refreshing dip in the pond!
With the pond’s future in limbo, locals plan to contact the local council and enlist the help of professional pond cleaners to rid themselves of the horse leeches and hopefully revive the pond’s ecosystem. In the meantime, the locals may take to fishing instead, using the worms and leeches as bait. We can only wait and see what happens next!
