Facing the wildlife challenge in the East Midlands
25 March 2010
A focus on regional lost and threatened species
Red Kite
In its first ever audit of the country’s lost and declining native species, Natural England studied centuries of conservation records to find that nearly 500 animals and plants have become extinct in England - all within the last two centuries. On top of this, nearly 1,000 native species have been given conservation priority status because of the severity of the threats facing them.
The region’s resurging species
The polecat, a species severely under threat, is now making a triumphant return to parts of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. During the 18th and 19th centuries, polecats were common across most of England and Wales, but as the popularity of shooting grew on major country estates, the population declined as gamekeepers sought to protect young game birds.
In Lincolnshire, the natterjack toad is also recovering, thanks to the reintroduction of the native toads by Natural England’s Saltfleetby-Theddlethorpe Dunes NNR. Natterjacks were common at the start of the 20th century, however their habitat substantially declined, and the common toad eventually replaced the natterjacks.
In Northamptonshire, the stunning red kite once again soars above Rockingham Forest, after it was lost from England at the close of the 19th century following persecution. As they became rarer, kite skins, nests and eggs became highly prized, accelerating their decline.
The new report also finds further evidence of England’s native species and those which have been lost completely.
To provide long term support for our wildlife, Natural England is working with a range of partners in the England Biodiversity Group to adopt a “landscape-scale” approach to conservation which goes beyond the conservation of small protected sites and individual species and embraces the management of entire landscape areas and the ecosystems that operate within them. Find out more about East Midlands' lost and threatened species.
