Wales Identifies Its Most Threatened Wildlife
A groundbreaking new study has revealed that thousands of species in Wales are at risk of extinction. The report – described as the “first of its kind in the UK” report – identifies the nation’s rarest species based on how geographically restricted they are. Natural Resources Wales (NRW), the government body responsible for environmental protection, said the findings highlight urgent conservation challenges.
According to the Species in Peril report, 3,000 species now exist in five places or fewer across Wales. Their limited distribution makes them extremely vulnerable to habitat loss, climate change and sudden catastrophic events such as severe storms. Many of these species include iconic and highly threatened wildlife such as the high brown fritillary butterfly and the Snowdon leaf beetle.
Since 2000, Wales has already lost 11 species, including the European turtle dove and the belted beauty moth, which have become geographically extinct in the country. The report warns that many more could follow unless targeted conservation action is taken.
Species Most at Risk
Among the species highlighted as facing imminent threat are:
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High brown fritillary butterfly
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Snowdon leaf beetle (known for its striking rainbow colours)
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Arctic–Alpine pea mussel
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Woolly feather-moss
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Eyed chestnut wrinkle-lichen
NRW specialists say that safeguarding Wales’s most vulnerable wildlife may not require vast financial resources. Instead, the report stresses the critical role nature reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) play in conserving threatened species.
“Some of the solutions for these species are incredibly simple,” said Mannon Lewis, strategic projects lead for the body.
“It is to do with changing the grazing regime, changing when we cut our grass, not felling, looking at different ways of trimming our hedges.
“They are low-cost, simple measures and now we know exactly where we need to do it.”
Key Conservation Hotspots Identified
One such hotspot is Newborough Warren on Anglesey, a national nature reserve supporting 130 of the at-risk species.
The area’s sand dunes and forests are already benefiting from habitat restoration efforts, including the introduction of grazing ponies and the reopening of dune systems to natural processes.
“It’s already achieved a lot,” said Mike Howe, one of the ecologists who helped draw up the new study.
“Within months of opening up some of these bare areas, we had species of beetle, which hadn’t been recorded on Newborough for about 10 years, suddenly appearing in huge numbers.”
Conservationist Tyler Hallman praised NRW’s strategy, particularly its focus on linking networks of protected sites. He suggested that this joined-up approach could not only prevent further losses but may even enable species already extinct in Wales to return in future.
“I think there are huge conservation success stories,” said Dr Hallman, a lecturer in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at Bangor University.
“The European turtle dove is extinct in Wales but, over the last few years, their population in Europe has increased greatly so who knows – that one might come back.
“You might see things coming back as conditions improve and the species as a whole do better. I guess that’s a huge positive – there are things we can do.”
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At Natural World Fund, we are passionate about restoring habitats in the UK to halt the decline in our wildlife.
