A STUDY has discovered that 60 per cent of Surrey's native wildlife species, including 270 "priority" species, are in decline.
The depressing statistic was revealed by legendary naturalist Sir David Attenborough at the launch of the groundbreaking State of Nature report at the Natural History Museum in London.
The survey, the first of its kind to be undertaken in the UK, was compiled by scientists from 25 wildlife organisations as a stocktake of indigenous species.
Sir David described the document as "a stark warning" but one which contained a sign of hope.
He added: "This report shows that our species are in trouble, with many declining at a worrying rate.
"However, we have in this country a network of passionate conservation groups supported by millions of people who love wildlife.
"The experts have come together to highlight the amazing nature we have around us and to ensure that it remains here for generations to come."
The study revealed that more than one in ten of all the species assessed are under threat of disappearing from British shores altogether, with the trend mirrored across the south east of England.
Areas of heathland in Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire collectively known as the Thames Basin and Wealden Heaths are home to specific types of wildlife including smooth snakes, sand lizards, Dartford warblers and many butterflies and dragonflies.
The scientists found that where habitat has disappeared, what remains is often fragmented into isolated pockets which have become the last place in Surrey where many key species in decline, such as the red barbed ant and heath tiger beetle, can be found.
While those creatures thrive locally, they are restricted from expanding because of habitat fragmentation, making them vulnerable to localised extinctions.
Chris Corrigan, the RSPB's south east regional director, said: "From the mudflats and grazing marshes of North Kent through the downland in Sussex and the heathland of Hampshire and Surrey, wildlife is under threat. The South East is the country's economic powerhouse and this puts extra pressure on our natural environment.
"The region has consistently shown the greatest declines in both the farmland and woodland bird indicator lists and there is nothing to suggest that these declines are slowing."
Sarah Jane Chimbwandira, director of biodiversity at the Surrey Wildlife Trust, said more than 270 "priority" species across the county were in national decline.
Jim Foster, conservation director of the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, added: "Twelve out of Britain's 13 native amphibian and reptile species live in Surrey.
"Although the natterjack toad became extinct and the sand lizard just hung on in the 1970s, dedicated conservation work and reintroduction programmes are helping to secure their place in the county.
"But the more widespread species need help too. Whether in gardens, parks or the countryside, the loss of habitats through development, changes in land use and unsympathetic management has severely affected these animals across the county."
