According to a clearly alarming report by the researchers at the wildlife conservation division of Oxford University, the populations of red squirrels, hedgehogs, harvest mice and Scottish wildcats are witnessing a rapid decline, even despite the attempts that have been made over the last ten years to avert a possible extinction of British mammals.

The report, based on a study commissioned by the People's Trust for Endangered Species, drew specific attention to the fact that the numbers of seven species of mammals - whose conservation was deemed a priority, and who included a few of the country’s most endangered species - were still declining last year.

As per the report – titled ‘State of Britain's Mammals 2011’ -, the declining population trends of the mentioned mammals imply that UK’s red squirrels will probably become extinct within the next two decades; and that the hedgehog population has plunged to 1.5 million, vis-à-vis the 1950s figure of 30 million.

Although the report chiefly rings an alarm about the disquieting situation of mammals facing extinction, it also notes that there has been an increase in the populations of bats, otters, and water voles --- thereby indicating that there was a notable improvement in the country’s approaches to conservation.

The report says that in spite of the fact that “many of Britain's mammals apparently declined significantly in the past 25 years,” it has also been found that the numbers of some mammals have apparently “stabilised or even increased in the last decade.”