4 DEC: One of the UK's rarest mammals, the grey long-eared bat, is one of 100 of England’s most threatened species which are being thrown a lifeline with a £4.6 million grant for conservation work. Although the UK's grey long-eared bats have always been confined to the relatively warm south of England, they have been squeezed into just a few fragmented colonies. The Heritage Lottery Fund money will go towards the "back from the brink" project, which will see a range of organisations working to save key species including the sand lizard and the Duke of Burgundy butterfly from extinction. PHOTO: Hugh Clark/Bat Conservation Trust/Natural England/PA #BBCSnapshot #rare #species #conservation #bat #bats #extinction by bbcnews

via Instagram http://bit.ly/1NuGGA6