LONDON – Almost 500 plants and animals have become extinct in England in the past two millennia with most vanishing in the last 200 years, according to a wide-ranging audit of the country’s wildlife.
The roll-call of 492 vanished species stretches from ancient losses such as the lynx to the disappearance in the last few decades of the greater mouse-eared bat and shorthaired bumblebee.
The study, published yesterday by the government’s conservation agency Natural England, also warns that almost 1,000 native species, including the Natterjack Toad and the Pine Marten, are under threat.
While a few “big, hairy and scary” animals such as bears and wolves were hunted to extinction, most vanished species have gone because of land management changes, including the industrialisation of farming, habitat loss, persecution and pollution.
Conservation efforts have reversed the fortunes of some species, with reintroductions of once-extinct wildlife including the red kite, the large blue butterfly and the pool frog.
Action to improve habitat for species such as Bitterns, Sand Lizards and the Ladybird Spider have also helped stem and reverse declines in those animals.
Natural England’s chief scientist Dr Tom Tew said the Lost Life report presented a stark message about the state of England’s wildlife.
“The message is clear: we are losing species at an alarming rate and many of our species are seriously threatened.”
He said species once described as “common”, such as common sparrows, common frogs and common toads, were no longer common. – (PA)