Billions of ants worked tirelessly for a century to completely change the shape of Richmond Park

Yellow meadow ants weighing more than an African elephant have completely changed the landscape of one Royal Park in just a century - with half a million ANTHILLS.

Citizen scientists studying Richmond Park in south west London found that three billion ants had created anthills in the 17th Century park, some of which are more than 150-years-old.

The Royal Parks’ Mission: Invertebrate project saw 55 volunteers count and measure the size of mounds built by the yellow meadow ant in sample areas of the 2,500-acre park to test the theory that the biggest anthills were located in the oldest and the most ecologically-rich pastures.