WILDLIFE UNDER STRESS

THE long spell of warm and dry weather in the UK is putting stress on wildlife in rivers.

Environmental groups such as the Rivers Trust are worried about the impact of the hot weather on waterways that are already under threat. Chalk streams in the south of England are of greatest concern, as they are starting to dry up, shrinking the habitat for native species. An estimated 85% of the world’s chalk streams are found in the UK and they are home to important species like salmon, kingfisher and otters. It’s not just the species living in rivers that are affected when they start to dry up: the lack of food has a knock-on effect in the food chain and larger mammals and birds start to struggle to find food as well. The Rivers Trust says we can all do our part to help wildlife during this dry spell by limiting our water use and by not wasting water.