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Adders in UK could be extinct within 12 years because they are being killed by pheasants, experts warn

Adders are under threat - Oxford Scientific RM
Adders are under threat - Oxford Scientific RM

Adders could be extinct within 12 years in the UK in a crisis partly caused by pheasant releases, experts have warned.

There is some controversy over the annual release of around 50 million gamebirds into the British countryside, with conservationists arguing this poses risks for native wildlife.

Reptile experts warn that the numbers of pheasants build up each year, as of course not all of them are shot or killed by predators. They, in turn, kill adders and other small animals.

Pheasants, once released, spread widely across the countryside. Wildlife campaigners argue they compete with native birds for food and increase the numbers of generalist predators including crows and foxes, which in turn kill rare wildlife.

They also kill reptiles, swallowing baby snakes whole and pecking at adults. Although adders are venomous, they cannot fight back against pheasants as they can't bite through their feathers.

Nigel Hand, a trustee of Amphibian and Reptile Groups of the UK (ARG UK), who has been studying adders for 20 years, told The Guardian: “The adder is on the brink of extinction in many sites across Britain … and it is the uncontrolled release of millions of pheasants by shooting estates which is pushing it over the brink.

“At this rate the adder will be extinct over much of its range by 2032, so it is essential we take action now to conserve it.”

Adders are endangered, with a 2019 study finding that their numbers are low and in decline in the sites where they are present.

The survey found that over 11 years of nationwide monitoring, 90 percent of adder populations were found to be sharply dropping.

The government is currently reviewing the release of gamebirds into the countryside after a legal challenge by the group Wild Justice, which was co-founded by Springwatch presenter Chris Packham.

The group recently secured a judicial review into gamebird releases, which will be heard in the High Court in November. The Government asked the court to throw the case out in April, calling it "vexatious" and "pointless".

Gamekeepers and shooting organisations argue that their management of the countryside is what keeps many rare animals alive.

Teresa Dent, the chief executive of the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, said “The GWCT has carried out detailed research that measured the effects of released pheasants and red-legged partridges on other wildlife and wildlife habitats.

“We found that the releasing of lowland game birds can be done in a way that minimises or avoids negative effects on habitats and other wildlife, and maximises the potential of management practices associated with releasing to deliver broader biodiversity benefit.”

The game shooting industry is under pressure from many conservationists, and some in the government. The practice of peat burning to manage land for gamebirds is currently under scrutiny, as it burns small animals alive and releases carbon into the atmosphere.

Environment Minister Lord Goldsmith said last week in the House of Lords: : “The government have always been clear – as I have – on the need to phase out the burning of protected blanket bog to conserve those vulnerable habitats. We are looking at how legislation can achieve this and are considering next steps.”