Britain’s top ten most endangered animals

When you think of endangered species you might think of the panda, the orangutan, rhinos, dolphins, and a whole bunch of other animals that most people in the UK have probably never seen in the wild.

However, Britain has its own list of endangered animals, and some of the creatures on that list may surprise you.

Sadly, many people today are out of touch with nature, and so a lot of the animals in the top ten most endangered list may draw a blank with you – I’ll admit to not recognising some of the names myself.

At number one is the red-necked phalarope (a little wading bird). Number two is the black-tailed godwit (a larger wading bird). Number three is the Scottish wildcat, four is the capercaillie (a type of grouse), five is the cuckoo, six is the red squirrel, seven is the turtle dove, eight is the natterjack toad, at nine the brown hare, and finally at ten comes potentially the most recognisable of all of these animals, the hedgehog.

Reportedly the number of hedgehogs in the UK is diminishing due to people not taking care when mowing or strimming their garden. Another factors is the number of roads which now cut across countryside.

It would be sad to lose our British hedgehogs, just as it would be sad to lose any of these animals when something can be done about it.

So, let’s all be careful when neatening up the garden, and if there are no cars behind you and you can stop safely, let that little spiky shape get across the road safe and sound.

Labels: animal, Britain, endangered, hedgehog, road, species