Chris Monk
Well-known member
The 10 most endangered species in Britain
Wildlife conservation isn't just about Africa or the Amazon. These British natives need your help, too. Ed Caesar outlines the 10 most endangered
Published: The Independent, 31 August 2006
SCOTTISH WILDCAT
Why they're threatened
It seems the Scottish wildcats have been at it like, well, like wildcats. These loner residents of the Highlands have seen their true numbers dwindle to 400, due to their penchant for mating with their domestic cousins instead of the wild variety (although this phenomenon has created a mildly savage "hybrid" species). This latest setback for the wildcat comes after centuries of having its habitat destroyed, being hunted for its fur and for its perceived pre-First World War status as vermin.
What we can do
It may seem hard on your pride and joy, but if you are a cat-owner living within range of a randy Scottish wildcat, your only option is to have your pet neutered. Also, you can help to preserve the wildcat's unique highland habitat by supporting the Highland Wildlife Park (www.highlandwildlife park.org).
PONDS
Why they're threatened
While it may be hard to get too worked up over the plight of a pond, these oases of green, murky water are crucial to thousands of species. In Britain, pond numbers have dropped from 1.2 million in 1880 to 400,000 today, a draining process that began with the Romans. New ponds can foster a great flowering of species - one new complex in Oxfordshire contained a quarter of the UK's freshwater plant and animal life after only five years.
What we can do
Make a pond in your garden, or club together to put a pond in the community. Failing that, make sure your local pond is free of litter. For tips, contact Pond Conservation (www.pondconservation.org).
LONG-EARED OWL
Why they're threatened
Never, ever get into a game of hide-and-seek with a long-eared owl. This shy bird is blessed with cryptic plumage, a soft call and an uncanny ability to secrete itself in unusual places. It also has a serious rival in its cousin, the tawny owl. Due to this competition, the long-eared owl is on the decline in Britain, where there may be as few as 1,100 breeding pairs left.
What we can do
The Hawk and Owl Trust (www.hawkandowl.org) conducts a survey of long-eared owls every March, so supporting them would go some way to ensuring that we know as much as possible about this secretive species. Also, you can adopt a box, also through the trust, where a long-eared owl could make a nest.
BUMBLEBEES
Why they're threatened
Bumblebees have long puzzled physicists with the question - how can something that bulbous actually fly? Now they're troubling conservationists. The short-haired bumblebee disappeared in 1990, and now the shrill-carder bee and the great yellow bumblebee are under threat due to a decline in the number of wild flowers in the UK. The plight of the bumblebee - a key pollinator - is already having an impact on agriculture.
What we can do
Make your own rough vegetation patch, or plant a nectar plant in your garden to attract the little buzzers. Alternatively, join Buglife (www.buglife.org.uk).
MARSH FRITILLARY
Why they're threatened
It may sound like an army division that specialises in wetlands combat, but the marsh fritillary is a butterfly with an uncertain future. Its plight has been contemporaneous with the decline in the caterpillar's only foodstuff - the devil's bit scabious, which grows in unfertilised, flower-rich pastures. The trouble is, such pastures are in increasingly short supply across Europe due to intensive farming practices and, as a result, the marsh fritillary's UK population has been limited to about 400 colonies.
What we can do
Put your hand in your pocket and support the Butterfly Conservation organisation (www.butterfly-conservation.org) or, alternatively, join them in their efforts to record, monitor and protect the nation's butterflies and moths.
LEATHERBACK TURTLE
Why they're threatened
These turtles' strength - that they generate their own bodyheat and are covered by thick fat, thus enabling them to dive to extraordinary depths and migrate great distances - is also their weakness. Their migratory instinct is leading them straight into the nets and traps of fishermen. As they swim through our waters, the turtles also prone to eating plastic bags and other lethal litter.
What we can do
Simple: don't throw your litter in the sea - a turtle could eat it and die. Or, you could adopt a turtle through the Marine Conservation Society (www.mcsuk.org). They're cute, endangered, and live about 20 times longer than a gerbil.
SPINY SEAHORSE
Why they're threatened
It's hard to imagine how seahorses pulled the chariot of Neptune. The spiny seahorse is the biggest of the two European seahorses - and it only grows to six inches. Pilfered by collectors (often to be used in Chinese medicine), threatened by habitat loss, huge fishing nets and increasingly polluted seas, the seahorse needs our help, fast.
What we can do
Never buy a dried seahorse as a seaside trinket. It's not only endangering this fragile animal, but is also unspeakably naff. You might also consider joining the British Seahorse Trust, which works in conjunction with the British Seahorse Survey (www.britishseahorsesurvey.org).
ENGLISH ELM
Why they're threatened
Dutch Elm disease has maintained its deathly grip on the UK. Since the initial outbreak in 1967, 15 million English elms - around 80 per cent of the original population - have been ravaged by the fungal disease, and the variety is now in serious danger of dying out. Now, there are as few as 40,000 mature elms left in Britain.
What we can do
Become a volunteer tree warden. It doesn't sound that exciting, but you could play a part in saving these fine English landmarks by keeping a look out for your local elm population (www.treecouncil.org.uk).
WATER VOLE
Why they're threatened
The water vole is being hunted to near extinction by the American mink, and has suffered an 89 per cent decline. The Americans aren't entirely to blame, though - the water vole has seen its natural habitat - wetlands and rivers - eroded through building developments.
What we can do
Through organisations such as the Wildlife Trusts (www.wildlifetrusts.org), you can help monitor existing populations of these amiable creatures in a survey of your area.
COMMON SKATE
Why they're threatened
The common skate is due a trip to the Deed Poll office, because, over the past decades, this close relative of the shark has become anything but common. The skate is a popular fish for eating, so its numbers have declined markedly - in fact, the common skate has almost entirely disappeared from coastal waters. And, because they take a long time to mature, these fish have not had it in them to reproduce at a sufficient rate to stem the tide.
What we can do
The only UK charity dedicated to the conservation of sharks, skates and rays is the Shark Trust (www.sharktrust.org). And, it organises the Great Eggcase Hunt in their breeding grounds to teach people about the distribution of the common skate. So, you could support the Shark Trust - or you could choose not to eat skate on a Friday night.
This is an adapted extract from Going, Going, Gone by Malcolm Tait, Think Books, £12.99. To order your copy for £11.50 with free P&P call Independent Books Direct on 08700 798 897
Wildlife conservation isn't just about Africa or the Amazon. These British natives need your help, too. Ed Caesar outlines the 10 most endangered
Published: The Independent, 31 August 2006
SCOTTISH WILDCAT
Why they're threatened
It seems the Scottish wildcats have been at it like, well, like wildcats. These loner residents of the Highlands have seen their true numbers dwindle to 400, due to their penchant for mating with their domestic cousins instead of the wild variety (although this phenomenon has created a mildly savage "hybrid" species). This latest setback for the wildcat comes after centuries of having its habitat destroyed, being hunted for its fur and for its perceived pre-First World War status as vermin.
What we can do
It may seem hard on your pride and joy, but if you are a cat-owner living within range of a randy Scottish wildcat, your only option is to have your pet neutered. Also, you can help to preserve the wildcat's unique highland habitat by supporting the Highland Wildlife Park (www.highlandwildlife park.org).
PONDS
Why they're threatened
While it may be hard to get too worked up over the plight of a pond, these oases of green, murky water are crucial to thousands of species. In Britain, pond numbers have dropped from 1.2 million in 1880 to 400,000 today, a draining process that began with the Romans. New ponds can foster a great flowering of species - one new complex in Oxfordshire contained a quarter of the UK's freshwater plant and animal life after only five years.
What we can do
Make a pond in your garden, or club together to put a pond in the community. Failing that, make sure your local pond is free of litter. For tips, contact Pond Conservation (www.pondconservation.org).
LONG-EARED OWL
Why they're threatened
Never, ever get into a game of hide-and-seek with a long-eared owl. This shy bird is blessed with cryptic plumage, a soft call and an uncanny ability to secrete itself in unusual places. It also has a serious rival in its cousin, the tawny owl. Due to this competition, the long-eared owl is on the decline in Britain, where there may be as few as 1,100 breeding pairs left.
What we can do
The Hawk and Owl Trust (www.hawkandowl.org) conducts a survey of long-eared owls every March, so supporting them would go some way to ensuring that we know as much as possible about this secretive species. Also, you can adopt a box, also through the trust, where a long-eared owl could make a nest.
BUMBLEBEES
Why they're threatened
Bumblebees have long puzzled physicists with the question - how can something that bulbous actually fly? Now they're troubling conservationists. The short-haired bumblebee disappeared in 1990, and now the shrill-carder bee and the great yellow bumblebee are under threat due to a decline in the number of wild flowers in the UK. The plight of the bumblebee - a key pollinator - is already having an impact on agriculture.
What we can do
Make your own rough vegetation patch, or plant a nectar plant in your garden to attract the little buzzers. Alternatively, join Buglife (www.buglife.org.uk).
MARSH FRITILLARY
Why they're threatened
It may sound like an army division that specialises in wetlands combat, but the marsh fritillary is a butterfly with an uncertain future. Its plight has been contemporaneous with the decline in the caterpillar's only foodstuff - the devil's bit scabious, which grows in unfertilised, flower-rich pastures. The trouble is, such pastures are in increasingly short supply across Europe due to intensive farming practices and, as a result, the marsh fritillary's UK population has been limited to about 400 colonies.
What we can do
Put your hand in your pocket and support the Butterfly Conservation organisation (www.butterfly-conservation.org) or, alternatively, join them in their efforts to record, monitor and protect the nation's butterflies and moths.
LEATHERBACK TURTLE
Why they're threatened
These turtles' strength - that they generate their own bodyheat and are covered by thick fat, thus enabling them to dive to extraordinary depths and migrate great distances - is also their weakness. Their migratory instinct is leading them straight into the nets and traps of fishermen. As they swim through our waters, the turtles also prone to eating plastic bags and other lethal litter.
What we can do
Simple: don't throw your litter in the sea - a turtle could eat it and die. Or, you could adopt a turtle through the Marine Conservation Society (www.mcsuk.org). They're cute, endangered, and live about 20 times longer than a gerbil.
SPINY SEAHORSE
Why they're threatened
It's hard to imagine how seahorses pulled the chariot of Neptune. The spiny seahorse is the biggest of the two European seahorses - and it only grows to six inches. Pilfered by collectors (often to be used in Chinese medicine), threatened by habitat loss, huge fishing nets and increasingly polluted seas, the seahorse needs our help, fast.
What we can do
Never buy a dried seahorse as a seaside trinket. It's not only endangering this fragile animal, but is also unspeakably naff. You might also consider joining the British Seahorse Trust, which works in conjunction with the British Seahorse Survey (www.britishseahorsesurvey.org).
ENGLISH ELM
Why they're threatened
Dutch Elm disease has maintained its deathly grip on the UK. Since the initial outbreak in 1967, 15 million English elms - around 80 per cent of the original population - have been ravaged by the fungal disease, and the variety is now in serious danger of dying out. Now, there are as few as 40,000 mature elms left in Britain.
What we can do
Become a volunteer tree warden. It doesn't sound that exciting, but you could play a part in saving these fine English landmarks by keeping a look out for your local elm population (www.treecouncil.org.uk).
WATER VOLE
Why they're threatened
The water vole is being hunted to near extinction by the American mink, and has suffered an 89 per cent decline. The Americans aren't entirely to blame, though - the water vole has seen its natural habitat - wetlands and rivers - eroded through building developments.
What we can do
Through organisations such as the Wildlife Trusts (www.wildlifetrusts.org), you can help monitor existing populations of these amiable creatures in a survey of your area.
COMMON SKATE
Why they're threatened
The common skate is due a trip to the Deed Poll office, because, over the past decades, this close relative of the shark has become anything but common. The skate is a popular fish for eating, so its numbers have declined markedly - in fact, the common skate has almost entirely disappeared from coastal waters. And, because they take a long time to mature, these fish have not had it in them to reproduce at a sufficient rate to stem the tide.
What we can do
The only UK charity dedicated to the conservation of sharks, skates and rays is the Shark Trust (www.sharktrust.org). And, it organises the Great Eggcase Hunt in their breeding grounds to teach people about the distribution of the common skate. So, you could support the Shark Trust - or you could choose not to eat skate on a Friday night.
This is an adapted extract from Going, Going, Gone by Malcolm Tait, Think Books, £12.99. To order your copy for £11.50 with free P&P call Independent Books Direct on 08700 798 897
