There are 66 mammals found throughout the year in the UK, and of them the 10 most endangered according to Mammals Trust UK are:

• Water vole
• Red squirrel
• Wildcat
• Pine marten
• Greater horseshoe bat
• Barbastelle bat
• Bechstein's bat
• Bottle-nosed dolphin
• Harbour porpoise
• Northern right whale
  

The red squirrel has been discuss in-depth in another thread, but what do you think we as a society can do to help all of these species to survive? I think one of the main factors affecting the water species is the indescriminate use of large fishing nets that trawl the oceans for anything that happens to cross its path. Many dolphns perish from being caught in these nets before they can be freed.

Making sure that hedgerows are allowed to grow naturally would also help many species of mammals that use these for shelter.

Some of the decrease in the aquatic species could come from the warmer waters. The food on which these animal feed may be moving to a different location. The dolphins, porpoises, and whales may not be able to adapt to a different temperature gradient as easily as the life forms on which they feed.

I know Canada is not having as large a harvest of fur seals as they wanted, because the seals simply are not there.

The degree to which farmers removed the hedgerows was infuenced by the manic desire to use every square inch of land, and the use of mechanisation as well. A horse and plough can tread lightly on the land, and turn a much tighter corner than a tractor.

Yes, bring back hedgerows!

Kingfisher

On my recent holiday in Dorset I was pleased to see there was a large amount of hedgerows around fields that have remained intact, so perhaps farmers attitudes towards this are changing. At least in Dorset they seem to be.

It is a good start, but there are nowhere near the amount of hedgerows in most areas as there was 50-60 years ago before the mechanization of farming.

Am I the only one here who's never heard of a hedgerow? Someone please explain lol

Hedgerows are what they sound like - rows of hedges along the sides of fields. A lot were taken out to make larger fields when mechanized farming tools such as tractors were invented, but they did house a lot of wildlife and taking them out destroyed many important habitats.

Hope that helps