Wildlife

Wild Animal Welfare and UK Butterfly Welfare 2026 Final

A final review of UK butterfly welfare and conservation in 2026, celebrating progress and identifying priorities for 2027.

Key Facts

UK butterfly populations showed modest improvement in agri-environment scheme areas in 2026
Large blue recovery continues with self-sustaining populations at multiple reintroduction sites
High brown fritillary persists in upland bracken habitats with active management
Chalkhill blue and other chalk grassland species benefited from grassland restoration in 2026
Big Butterfly Count engaged 150,000 people in monitoring, building advocacy capacity

Welfare Considerations

UK butterfly welfare and conservation in 2026 showed genuine progress in target areas. Scaling successful approaches across more sites delivers welfare benefits for the full range of butterfly species.

What You Can Do

Support Butterfly Conservation and their species recovery programs
Participate in Big Butterfly Count and other monitoring programs
Advocate for agri-environment funding that includes butterfly habitat management