World Animal Day – 4 October 2011

World Animal Day began in
1931 at a convention of ecologists in Florence in order to raise awareness of
endangered species. It is now a worldwide celebration of animal life and the
role animals play in the lives of humans . The day aims to encourage people to
commemorate their love and respect for animals by doing something special to
highlight the importance of animals in the world as well as progressing the
animal welfare movement.

In the UK some native species have seen
significant improvements in population and habitat. The report – State of Britain’s Mammals 2011
states "Although many of Britain’s
mammals apparently declined significantly in the past 25 years, some appear to
have stabilized or even increased in the last decade,".
One such
species that has seen significant improvements in population include the european otter which
has made a return to every county in England. This has been attributed to the
improvements in water quality and bans on pesticides. However the native red squirrel has seen
a 50% reduction in population over the past 50 years, despite conservation  efforts. It is feared that if the numbers of
red squirrels continue to drop that

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