What is being done about animal extinction in the UK?

In the last two centuries, the UK has seen significant wildlife loss due to farming, industry, and habitat destruction. This has led to many species becoming extinct or endangered. However, recently, rewilding projects and new policies are helping to reverse this decline and restore biodiversity. Species reintroductions are the latest method of saving animals from extinction, with the first being dire wolves.

Dire wolves roamed America over 10,000 years ago and are ancestors of the grey wolf. Colossal Biosciences, an American biotech company, is claiming to have brought them back using gene editing technology. Colossal used DNA from two dire wolf fossils: a 13,000-year-old tooth from Ohio and a 72,000-year-old inner ear bone from Idaho. The genetic edits targeted 14 genes associated with the physical traits of dire wolves, such as larger size and robust musculature, which were then implanted into domesticated dogs. Three pups were subsequently born and named Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi.

Although Colossal refers to the animals as dire wolves, zoologist Philip Seddon from the University of Otago in New Zealand explains that they are in fact "genetically modified grey wolves." (BBC, 2025) This is due to the DNA from dire wolves being far too fragmented. "So what Colossal has produced is a grey wolf, but it has some dire wolf-like characteristics, like a larger skull and white fur," said Dr. Rawlence, a palaeontologist from the same university, "It's a hybrid." 

Some argue that we should live with the consequences of human actions, while others speculate that this could be a way to bring creatures back from extinction (Gill, 2025). Despite calls from charities and the public for reintroducing specific extinct species, it is a relatively complex process - even if they have only been extinct in specific areas or for a shorter time. Sadly, wolves are not expected to return to the wild in Britain anytime soon, mainly due to societal attitudes and concerns about grazing animals. Although wolves have naturally repopulated in some parts of continental Europe, their reintroduction in the UK presents more significant controversy (Rewilding Britain, 2024). A 2022 YouGov poll revealed that only 36% of the British public supports reintroducing wolves, while more than 50% favour bringing back lynx. This illustrates a general reluctance toward larger, socially sensitive predators (YouGov, 2022).

Rewilding Britain, along with several charitable organisations, advocates for the reintroduction of the lynx into the Scottish Highlands. In 2021, the Lynx to Scotland group conducted a survey and discussed reintroducing Lynx with local councils and the public, emphasising positioning them in secure and adaptable environments. In 2024, they assembled a cross-sectoral group of national stakeholders to evaluate the previously identified concerns impartially and deliberate on the advantages and challenges of reintroducing lynx to the Scottish Highlands. This report was published in March 2025, and throughout the year, they are continuing workshops and will discuss the next steps on 29th August. (www.scotlandbigpicture.com, n.d.).

Despite ongoing conservation efforts and the protection of specific natural areas, recent studies indicate a decline in species across all UK habitats, including woodland, farmland, marine, and freshwater. The effects of human activities, such as habitat loss, pollution, and climate change, continue to be severe and persistent (State of Nature Report, 2019). 

Since the 1970s, 41% of assessed UK species have experienced declines (RSPB et al., 2019). One in four mammal species is at risk of extinction, and 22% of seabird populations have decreased (JNCC, 2023). The extent of species loss is particularly alarming: hedgehog populations have plummeted by 95% since the 1950s, and turtle dove numbers have dropped by 98% (RSPB, 2021). These alarming figures highlight the historical consequences of human development and its effects on British wildlife. 

Although significant efforts to counter the extinction of animals in the UK are fairly recent, their endangerment began in the early 18th century. This started in the Agricultural Revolution, where animals experienced widespread habitat loss due to agricultural expansion to support the Industrial Revolution. Subsequently, further habitats and wildlife were destroyed during the Industrial Revolution, and with a growing population, even more habitat was sacrificed to provide housing. Since the 1930s, over 97% of wildflower meadows have been lost (Plantlife, 2019), and ancient woodland now covers only about 2.5% of the UK, mainly in fragmented patches (Woodland Trust, 2021). These environmental changes have significantly contributed to declines in populations of native wildlife. 

Additionally, several large mammals were hunted to extinction, including the grey wolf and the brown bear (Davis, 2020). The late 1800s nearly wiped out the red kite due to persecution, but it has been successfully reintroduced through conservation efforts (RSPB, 2021).

Efforts are being made to improve and protect wildlife. One such example is the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), which encourages environmentally sustainable practices on farmland  (DEFRA, 2022), such as maintaining wildlife corridors and other natural habitats for them to hide and thrive. Across the UK, NGOS have been assisting in the rewilding of forests and areas, resulting in the recovery of some species. As of early 2024, 22 projects had been funded under the Landscape Recovery pilot phase, covering over 20,000 hectares across England (defrafarming.blog.gov.uk, 2023). 

The government and charities set ambitious goals and are funding many projects to restore the British wildlife and save many of its declining animal populations. The government has set a legal target to halt species decline by 2030 and restore 30% of land for nature by 2030 (Environment Act, 2021). This will allow many species, such as hedgehogs, to recover. The importance of British species is crucial to maintaining biodiversity, as it benefits the land by preserving the food chain in forests and meadows, allowing all species to thrive.

The Industrial Revolution has brought disastrous consequences to British wildlife, with many species declining alarmingly. The loss of British wildlife is a tragedy of human consequence and has damaged the natural food chain and the country's beauty. However, with recent efforts from the government and charities, there has been a real drive to rescue and maintain endangered species, successfully restoring some, and demonstrating hope for British wildlife as a whole.