Bavarian Pine Vole (Yowies Forgotten Friends Series A by Cadbury)

Here, we see a rather surprising critter, a rodent from Europe that defied expectations. Here is the tale of the Bavarian Pine Vole (Microtus bavaricus): Once found only in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria, the species was last seen in 1962, and the site it once inhabited was demolished in order to build a hospital. Another casualty of humanity, it seemed this tiny critter was lost to time…….

…. Or so it seemed! In 2000, Austrian scientist Friederike Spitzenberger found a small rodent in a live trap in North Tyrol, and said rodent was a Bavarian Pine Vole! This is an example of a Lazarus species, once thought extinct but found again years later, like the Coelacanth. Though critically endangered, it’s nice to know this species has a second chance to be protected. Only one model of this species has been made, part of the Forgotten Friends line by Yowies, a selection of recently extinct species (which it was considered at the time the figure was made). Let’s take a look!

This model shows the cute little vole in it’s full browns, going for the darker pelts sometimes seen. It could mix a bit more of the lighter browns in, but they are present at least. It is accurate to the real animal, perhaps the face could be more pointed and the fur made to look fluffier, but not bad. As with most Yowies models, it’s small, measuring 2.6″ long and 0.9″ high. As it is quite a small species, it likely will be too large for a lot of lines, but is still decently small. It’s pose is as if scuttling along the ground, maybe scurrying from a threat. It has a little movement in the head and tail, but nothing that will be useful for changing the pose (at least not for long periods).

This is a truly lovely little model, and is great for teaching what can happen to species if we aren’t careful, or not aware enough of what happens to them. The Bavarian Pine Vole is lucky, but many species are not. This model is long discontinued, so eBay is your best shot, and I do feel it’s worth finding. Best of luck!