Since the 1970s we’ve been slowly exterminating wildlife around us. Here are five facts about UK wildlife which are plain spooky.

1. 41% of the UK’s biodiversity has declined.

The main contributors are (1) agricultural practices, (2) climate change, (3) pollution, (4) woodland management, and (5) invasive non-native species introduction for shooting.

In the UK, 72% of the land is managed for agriculture — devastating natural habitats everywhere. Climate change has caused the Kittiwake (gull) population to reduce by 70% and the Department for Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has been releasing and is due to release 50 million non-native birds to British natural sites each year. This is purely for fun — shooting as a sport — but the impacts are devastating: vegetation relied on by native birds is invaded and natural food webs are broken as native insects and invertebrates such as snakes and lizards are devoured.

2. 15% of wildlife is threatened with extinction.

In 2019, 70 environment and nature-based organisations produced “State of Nature”, the most comprehensive report on wildlife species in the UK yet. They studied 8,431 species using the Red List criteria: a system to classify species at high risk of extinction. 15% were classified as threatened whilst 2% are extinct.

3. 500,000 Grouse are shot for fun each year.

To increase Grouse numbers available to kill for sport, more than 260,000 animals are killed each year. These include natural wildlife predators like foxes, stoats, weasels, and crows; over half that needlessly meet their deaths are non-target species such as hedgehogs, dippers and mistle thrush. Peatlands, which lock 3.2 million tonnes of CO2 in the UK alone, are regularly illegally burnt, killing millions of wildlife plants and animals and contributing to climate change as CO2 is released into the air.

4. Turtle Dove’s are nearly exterminated. Between 1970 and 2015, populations depleted by 98%.

Turtle Dove’s are on the Red List. Their population is continually decreasing and it is estimated that during their migration routes, 2 to 4 million turtle doves are shot and killed for sport each year. In the UK, they’ve fallen from an estimated 125,000 pairs to 45,000 pairs. Their main food source (weed seeds) and habitats have been ravaged as a result of intensified farming.

5. £50,000 each has been handed to several hunting groups as loans or grants from taxpayer money as Coivid-19 bailouts.

The Devon and Somerset Staghounds — who ride horses to kill stags and deer were given £10,000 in grant (no repayment) and £50,000 in loans. They already had £40,000 in their bank. The government scheme was set up so that local authorities could help small businesses stay afloat during this period. Whilst locals have faced difficult times, Shropshire County Council has given £50,000 of taxpayers money to fox-hunting groups. More shocking is that the Hunting Act of 2004 has banned fox hunting.

6. Hen Harrier numbers have decayed by 27% between 2004 and 2016.

Hen Harriers are scarce despite ample suitable land for them to breed on. Their distribution in the UK is unbalanced, with Scotland homing most Hen Harrier pairs. England is nearing complete extinction. The fifth Hen Harrier survey showed 460 pairs residing in Scotland and in England pairs fell from 12 in 2010 to four in 2016.

Imminent changes are needed to reverse the damage we have caused to our wildlife and stop more species from going extinct. Poor land management, shooting, habitat destruction, climate change and deforestation are making wildlife disappear.

Animal Rebellion joins XR Scotland’s Wildlife Rebellion today to highlight these issues in a march from DEFRA to Buckingham Palace. We’re living with horrors right now and they aren’t just for All Hallow’s Eve.

The post 6 Haunting Facts About UK Wildlife first appeared on Animal Rebellion.

Have you heard of The Butterfly Effect? No, not the Ashton Kutcher movie but the theory itself. It goes back to 1800, in The Vocation of Man, Johann Gottlieb Fichte says “you could not remove a single grain of sand from its place without thereby … changing something throughout all parts of the immeasurable whole”. The same can be said for our ecosystem- push one section of our natural world too far and the effects can be untold.

This Hallo-week, climate justice movements: Animal Rebellion and Extinction Rebellion, are demonstrating to the British and Scottish governments the need to impose legislation that will protect and uphold our homes, habitats and country. This will happen by marking the end of archaic sports which involve the hunting and killing of our wildlife along with the vast swathes of natural land that are burnt and destroyed in order to prime acres for the game.

The annual depletion of up to 260,000 wild animals that are native to Scotland alone are wreaking havoc on local animal societies and food chains. Coupled with the CO2 gas released from the burning of our peat soils, which annually emits more greenhouse gasses than all of the oil refineries in the UK, has created an ecological disaster in the name of an ancient and often inaccessible sport.

Through a series of safe, peaceful and family-friendly actions in both Scotland and on the footsteps of Buckingham Palace, the climate justice movements are informing the public of the action that needs to be taken in order to protect our homes and planet. In the spirit of Halloween, we may not be able to go trick-or-treating but we can remember the animals that have lost their lives by dressing up, creating art work and speaking out against the sports that are engaged within their homes and our beautiful countryside that is being laid to waste.

This Halloween simultaneous demonstrations are taking place outside of Holyrood in Edinburgh, Scotland and a march from Trafalgar Square right up to Buckingham Palace in London dubbed ‘The Hunted Haunting of Buckingham Palace’. Everyone is invited to take part in both actions, and implored to be creative with it! There will be speakers, art, banners, posters, pavement chalk art, face paintings and costumes, lots of costumes.

If you want to join other activists and interested parties for the demonstrations here’s how you can prepare and help out.

For the demonstrations numbers are the most important factor, everybody is welcome and is encouraged to bring friends, family and anyone else you can. Come in your own costumes, preferably animal themed. You can be as elaborate and creative or as simplistic as you want; a white sheet over your head to represent the ghosts of animal lives lost is a popular choice; just make sure it represents the loss and destruction of animals and their homes, particularly those native to Scotland. Bring out your artistic spirit, make banners, paintings, posters, cutouts and bring soft toys; anything you can think of that helps get the message across to protect our natural countryside and wildlife. Show the extent that has been lost and make the government know the demands they are facing.

Alongside people, equipment is also required to ensure the rebellions’ presence is felt. Anything from torches, high- vis vests, placards and flags to ensure that you are seen and safe to sound systems and megaphones to ensure that you are heard.

Above all it has to be said that among these strange and unfortunate times please make sure that you bring face masks for yourself and everyone you’re coming with. Along with remaining socially distant from those who are outside of your household or support bubble. Your voice needs to be heard whilst you are keeping yourself and those around you safe at the same time.

That being said, if you or anyone you have been in contact with lately has any symptoms of COVID-19 then please stay at home, you can still make your voice heard by sharing your thoughts and the demonstrations on social media however for the safety of yourself and everyone around you it is essential that the demonstrations are COVID secure.

It’s no secret that there is a lot of work that needs to be done to ensure the protection of our planet and its inhabitants, however, one step at a time real difference can be made. Through demonstrations such as these and the many others around the world. From climate justice movements to individuals making every day choices, however you choose to participate, your voice can be heard and will not be forgotten. The right and necessary changes will come and our planet and all of us who call it home will benefit from it.

Demonstration Information:

The Hunted Haunting of Buckingham Palace.

Time/Date: Meeting at 5:30pm, Saturday 31st October 2020

Place: Meeting at DEFRA and marching to Buckingham Palace.

Holyrood Demonstration

Time/Date: TBA, Saturday 31st October 2020

Place: Holyrood, Edinburgh

The post Animal Rebellion Prepares for a Terrifying Halloween — Climate Justice Movement Demonstrates Against Grouse Shooting first appeared on Animal Rebellion.