Almost 3,000 species found teetering on the brink of extinction in Wales due to limited geographic distribution.
The Natural Resources Wales report reveals that since the millennium, eleven species have already disappeared from Welsh shores, including the turtle dove and belted beauty moth. The alarming figure of 2,955 terrestrial or freshwater species are now at risk, confined to just five locations each.
Beloved creatures like black grouse and the high brown fritillary butterfly make the list along with 25 bird species, five fish, six mammals, and one amphibian - the natterjack toad. Mammals in peril include five bat species such as Bechstein's bat confined to the Wye valley in south-east Wales, and the Skomer vole which lives only on the island of Skomer off the south-west coast.
The report identifies a pressing need for urgent conservation efforts due to increasing pressures from climate change and agricultural intensification. However, it also presents some glimmer of hope that many species can be saved with relatively modest investment and simple changes to existing management practices such as strimming vegetation to provide more open conditions.
Conservation actions under way are offering rays of hope, including scrub clearance, the remobilisation of sand dunes, positive habitat management for invertebrates, captive rearing and release, enhanced biosecurity on islands. One notable example is the introduction of goats at Stanner Rocks in Powys which has helped preserve plants like the Radnor lily.
The analysis highlights woodland, parkland, and scrub as key ecosystems for species in peril, followed by grassland and peatland. The head of natural resource management policy at NRW, Mary Lewis, emphasized that Wales is not just at risk of losing species but it's already happening. She noted that despite the sobering reality, modest investment and changes to management practices can help protect these species.
The Welsh government has acknowledged its responsibility in addressing climate and nature emergencies, citing initiatives such as Nature Networks and Natur am Byth to restore habitats and support vulnerable species. The introduction of the environment (principles, governance and biodiversity targets) bill aimed at safeguarding the country's environment is seen as a crucial step forward.
The Natural Resources Wales report reveals that since the millennium, eleven species have already disappeared from Welsh shores, including the turtle dove and belted beauty moth. The alarming figure of 2,955 terrestrial or freshwater species are now at risk, confined to just five locations each.
Beloved creatures like black grouse and the high brown fritillary butterfly make the list along with 25 bird species, five fish, six mammals, and one amphibian - the natterjack toad. Mammals in peril include five bat species such as Bechstein's bat confined to the Wye valley in south-east Wales, and the Skomer vole which lives only on the island of Skomer off the south-west coast.
The report identifies a pressing need for urgent conservation efforts due to increasing pressures from climate change and agricultural intensification. However, it also presents some glimmer of hope that many species can be saved with relatively modest investment and simple changes to existing management practices such as strimming vegetation to provide more open conditions.
Conservation actions under way are offering rays of hope, including scrub clearance, the remobilisation of sand dunes, positive habitat management for invertebrates, captive rearing and release, enhanced biosecurity on islands. One notable example is the introduction of goats at Stanner Rocks in Powys which has helped preserve plants like the Radnor lily.
The analysis highlights woodland, parkland, and scrub as key ecosystems for species in peril, followed by grassland and peatland. The head of natural resource management policy at NRW, Mary Lewis, emphasized that Wales is not just at risk of losing species but it's already happening. She noted that despite the sobering reality, modest investment and changes to management practices can help protect these species.
The Welsh government has acknowledged its responsibility in addressing climate and nature emergencies, citing initiatives such as Nature Networks and Natur am Byth to restore habitats and support vulnerable species. The introduction of the environment (principles, governance and biodiversity targets) bill aimed at safeguarding the country's environment is seen as a crucial step forward.
i mean what can we do? it's not like we're just sitting around twiddling our thumbs, there are already conservation efforts underway 
like scrub clearance and goat introductions at stanner rocks 
but idk, 11 species have already gone extinct since the millennium... that's just heartbreaking 
2k95 species is a lot to wrap my head around, i guess it's time for us to step up our game 
! Like, can you even imagine living in a world where only five locations have all these amazing creatures? It's crazy that the black grouse and high brown fritillary butterfly are on the list too. 
The fact that climate change and agriculture are the main reasons is just heartbreaking. But, you know what? I'm kinda hoping for some good news here... like, if we make some small changes to our management practices, maybe we can save these species? 
It's great to see initiatives like scrub clearance and goat conservation in action! 
Let's get to it and protect Wales' wildlife! 
3k species on the brink of extinction is like, super alarming... who wouldn't wanna preserve those adorable black grouse and high brown fritillary butterflies? 
But seriously, it's kinda wild that these creatures are confined to just five locations. I guess it's a good thing they're focusing on conservation efforts though. Strimming vegetation can make a big difference, right? 
And introducing goats like at Stanner Rocks is pretty cool too... who knew goats could be wildlife saviors? 
Just saying.
. I mean, almost 3k species on the brink of extinction? That's just crazy. And to think they're all confined to like five tiny locations each... it's not exactly a secret that climate change and agriculture are big problems, but come on! Can't we do more to prevent this? 
. The fact that the head of NRW said "modest investment" is just not going to cut it when you're talking about species on the brink of extinction...
What can we do to save them? 
It's not just about planting more trees or something simple like that... it's about making some real changes to how we live and work 
. I love that the Welsh government is taking steps towards protecting these species though 
, like introducing the environment bill and supporting conservation efforts 
. It's heartbreaking to think about all those species disappearing forever 
!
. It's heartbreaking to think that 11 already gone from Welsh shores since the millennium 
. Simple changes like strimming vegetation or introducing goats can make a difference 
. We need to keep investing and innovating to protect our planet's biodiversity 
I'm seriously worried about these species in Wales! Like, how can we let this happen? 
It's like, we know how important conservation is... but what's being done?! 
gotta do more than just talk about it 
. Initiatives like Nature Networks and Natur am Byth are important steps in the right direction. And let's not forget that bill aimed at safeguarding the environment - it's a good start, I guess 
But we need to do more. We can't just sit back and watch our planet die because of human error. No way, we gotta take action 
11 species already gone, incl the turtle dove & belted beauty moth 
. conservation efforts r needed ASAP, but idk how much more can we do? 
...it feels like we're running out of time 
, but it's heartening to see that some simple changes can help 
...modest investment & changes to management practices can really make a difference