Youngsters think polar bears most endangered species

CHILDREN believe that protecting the polar bear is more important than protecting the humble bumble-bee, new research has found.

The RSPB's survey asked Scottish youngsters to spend an hour learning about five different threatened species – the polar bear, the Sumatran tiger, the bumble-bee, the albatross and the sand eel – and then vote on which species they thought needed the greatest help.

The polar bear topped the poll with 24 per cent of the vote, closely followed by the Sumatran tiger (23 per cent) and the bumble-bee in third place (22 per cent).

The poll found youngsters believe the sand eel is least in need of help, coming last with 13 per cent of the vote, with the albatross just ahead at 18 per cent.

The RSPB conducted the survey for its Vote for Nature project, which saw pupils learn about why these five species are important, the threats they face, and what can be done to help them.

Andy Simpson, the RSPB head of youth and education, said: "It's encouraging to see that although on first look many children were rooting for the magnificent Sumatran tiger and polar bear, by the end of the project their opinions begun to change.

"Although still the most popular species, there were very few votes between first, second and third place. This suggests the children understood that more humble species like the bumble-bee – which they can see in their own back gardens – play an equally important role in maintaining a healthy environment and need our support to ensure their survival."

The RSPB said inspiring children through nature is a key part of their Letter to the Future campaign, which aims to save nature for future generations to enjoy.

The survey saw 200 Scottish students aged four to 12 questioned between 3-7 May.