From ferocious seals to majestic hares: Stunning images reveal the beauty of British mammals - and highlights the dangers they face

The overall winner was a picture of a brown hare on its hind legs, taken by Stuart Scott near his home in Galashiels in the Scottish borders. 'I saw the hare near the edge of a field by a stonewall near Blainslie in the Scottish Borders. Somehow it heard me long before I got close and had moved away,' said Mr Scott

Grant Auton won second prize overall for this incredible image of a swimming common seal. Around five per cent of the world's common seals live in the UK

Mr Scott's winning picture was taken just before the hare ran away. ‘I saw the hare near the edge of a field by a stonewall near Blainslie in the Scottish Borders. Somehow it heard me long before I got close and had moved away,’ he said.

Judges Kate MacRae and TV's Mike Dilger said: ‘Changes in farming methods over the last 50 years are likely to have a major impact on hare populations and seeing these beautiful creatures is always special. A moment perfectly captured.’

A photo of a seal swimming at night through black oil-like water by Grant Auton came second, whilst Adrian Hinchiffe won third place for his picture of a cheeky stoat sticking its head out of a drainpipe.

A stoat's long and bendy bodies are perfect for squeezing into holes in theground and wriggling along tunnels.This helps them to follow voles and mice into their burrows where other hunters can't reach.

Stoats are usually completely white in winter, except for the prominent black tips of their tails. Those that inhabit northern Britain are more likely to turn completely white than their southern counterparts. The average stoat lives for just 1.5 years.

Pictured here is a fallow deer at Calke Abbey ark, Ticknall in Derbyshire. A fallow deer typically has a spotted coat, with a longer tail than other deer constantly twitching

David Gibbon shows a seal in the Farne Islands, Northumberland. These images have all been selected as finalists in the contest run by The Mammal Society, which is 60 years old this year and aimed to bring awareness of the issues faced by these animals

A field vole in Ringmer, East Sussex. As they travel, field voles leave a trail of scent to warn off other voles. Birds of prey are able to see the UV light created from the trails

This image by Sarah Pern shows bottlenose dolphins near Cromarty in Scotland. In the wild, these rapid swimmers can reach speeds of over 18 miles (30 km) an hour

Other highly commended pictures include a fox spying on a bird table, a shy seal shielding its eyes, a deer licking its lips and otters playing in the water.
British mammals are facing a number of modern challenges, including loss of habitat and conflicts with humans such as road collisions.

As part of the 60th celebrations, The Mammal Society is urging the public to submit records every time they see a mammal so they can map them and improve their database.

In the UK, there are several species of mammal that have undergone serious decline, or whose status is unknown, but possibly vulnerable.

Between 1994 and 1997, 18 terrestrial mammals , and 21 marine mammals, were listed as priority species in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan.

This was the winning pictured in the under 18 section and was taken by Alex Berryman. It shows a common seal photographed on a North Norfolk Beach

This image by Adrian Hinchliffe shows two otters, believed to be mother and cub in Thetford, Norfolk. Bubbles of air trapped in an otter's fur gives it a silvery appearance

This shortlisted pictured by Iain Challis shows a young fox known as a nibbler. The contest also wanted to encourage appreciation for the many species which are often overlooked but essential to the health of our habitats

The list includes the water vole which is found throughout Britain and, though mainly confined to lowland areas near water, has also been recorded in upland streams.

Water voles, immortalised by Ratty from Wind in the Willows, were once often seen the UK's waterways.

But since the 1970s, water vole numbers are thought to have declined by more than 90 per cent.

Ms Pacheco said: ‘We are encouraging everyone to let us know when they spot a mammal or signs of one, so we can build a better picture of how well they're doing, identify vulnerable populations and therefore target conservation more effectively. 

‘At the moment we have a good idea that brown hares are struggling, but we do not know to what extent and we need to know before it's too late.’.