A quarter of native mammals now at risk of extinction in the UK. This is according to the first Red List of UK mammals - a comprehensive review of the status of species, including wildcats, red squirrels and hedgehogs.
"When we draw all the evidence together - about population size and how isolated and fragmented those populations are - we come up with this list of 11 of our 47 native species being threatened imminently," explained Prof Mathews. "And there are more species that are categorised as 'near threatened'. That means that we need to keep an eye on these species, because while we don't yet have a red flag waving, they're still abundant enough to be able to turn things around."
The mammals in the most threatened categories are as follows:
- Critically endangered: Wildcat, greater mouse-eared bat;
- Endangered: Beaver, red squirrel, water vole, grey long-eared bat;
- Vulnerable: Hedgehog, hazel dormouse, Orkney vole, Serotine bat, Barbastelle bat;
- Near threatened: Mountain hare, harvest mouse, lesser white-toothed shrew, Leisler's bat, Nathusius' pipistrelle
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-53585627
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