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Native wildlife conservation 

Over the last few centuries the landscape of the UK and much of mainland Europe has altered dramatically.

In the UK over the last 50 years over 38 million birds have disappeared from our skies, 97% of our wildlife meadows have disappeared and one quarter of all our native mammals are now at risk of extinction.

Time is running out, but we have the solutions. Our work restoring ecosystems and protecting species is making a difference, together we've helped reintroduce over a thousand dormice back into the UK, led citizen science campaigns to help save European eels, and used our conservation zoos to boost corncrake populations.

Our world-leading scientific work on protecting wildlife health has helped bring our native pool frog back to Britain and help continue the recovery of red kites, one of the biggest wildlife conservation success stories ever. 

Native wildlife can recover, it just needs our help. 

Identifying species most at risk

Protecting native wildilfe

Wildlife conservation
    Hazel dormouse close-up, dark circular eyes with rosy orange fur
    Reintroducing the hazel dormouse to British countryside

    Hazel dormouse

    By working together with our conservation partners, we've managed to successfully reintroduce over 1,000 dormice

    A puffin on Skellig Michael crag
    Conserving native birds

    Conserving native birds

    Protecting British biodiversity, from the seas to farmland.

    hedgehog-in-grass-under-leaves
    Hedgehogs are now classified as ‘vulnerable to extinction'

    London HogWatch

    London HogWatch identifies hedgehog populations in greater London to promote conservation strategies for their protection, connection and expansion.

    oysters_in_water
    Restoring lost British ecosystems.

    Native oysters restored to UK waters

    Restoration efforts begin by placing ‘ocean superheroes’ under marina pontoons across the UK

    hedgehog-with-mouth-open
    How to protect the nations favourite spiky animal

    Suburban gardens, parks and allotments key for hedgehogs’ survival in Greater London

    Together we help protect hedgehogs by making changes to our local green space.

    Olm swimming in the darkness of a cave through the rocks, pale pink snake like in appearance with four small lake. Smooth with no clear features.
    Underwater dragons

    Olm

    Olms can live up to 10 years without food and are re adapted to living in total darkness.

    Tope shark
    Under threat from fishing and habitat degradation

    Project SIARC

    We’re working at the cutting edge of conservation to protect angel sharks and create practical routes to their recovery.

    Two angel sharks on the ocean floor
    Under threat from fishing and habitat degradation

    Angel Shark Conservation

    We’re working at the cutting edge of conservation to protect angel sharks and create practical routes to their recovery.

    Red kite flying - identifying fork tail clearly visible
    Driving a resurgence

    Red kite conservation

    We are protecting red kites to ensure their numbers never crash again, by providing expert health surveillance and supporting reintroductions.

    european eel closeup of face
    The species are now classified as ‘Critically Endangered’

    European eel conservation

    European eels once thrived in London’s rivers but the number of young joining the adult populations has dropped dramatically since the 1980s.

    Chequered Skipper butterfly on a leaf
    A previously extinct species in England

    Bringing back the Chequered skipper butterfly to English woodlands

    Post-release monitoring of the conservation work has provided evidence that the newly established populations are thriving once again in English woodlands.

    scanning a pool frog
    One of only two native frogs in Britain

    Bringing back the pool frog to Britain

    Historically, the pool frog was present in Britain, but following loss and damage to their habitats the species went extinct and the last native population of pool frogs, in Norfolk, was lost.

Wildlife conservation