15000 years ago wild animals native to Britain today crossed the land bridge from what is now France

 Since then, humans have also introduced animals artificially

 This has all contributed to the varied mix of wildlife we see today

 Some of the native mammals have already become extinct in Britain, for example the beaver, the wolf and the brown bear

 There is still hope for some animals because Britain is host to 69 wild animal species, many of whom are on the brink of extinction throughout Europe but who remain, albeit in small numbers, in the UK

 Wild animals have been an integral part of UK history but this is far less apparent today

 There is, therefore, a definite impetus to maintain some of those that are diminishing as a result of human pressures

 An example is the red squirrel, which has declined in number considerably during the last century, primarily as a result of the introduction of the grey squirrel in the late 19^th century (red squirrel population changes past, present and future)

 Birds of prey have also decreased significantly as a result of human activity, despite a concerted effort for several decades to restore their former populations (RSPB)

For more links to information on UK wildlife, including the history, click here

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