UK hedgehog charity backs bid to put endangered mammal on new banknotes

British Hedgehog Preservation Society urges public to vote in Bank of England consultation after rural populations fell by between 30 and 75 per cent since 2000

Britain’s hedgehogs should be put on new banknotes to help raise awareness of their dramatic decline, conservationists have told The European.

The British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) has urged the public to vote for the European hedgehog after the animal was shortlisted by the Bank of England for the next series of £5, £10, £20 and £50 notes.

The Bank has asked the public to choose which native UK wildlife should appear as the central images on the next series of notes.

The shortlist includes mammals, birds, amphibians, insects and fish, with the hedgehog named alongside animals including the bottlenose dolphin, brown hare, grey seal, pine marten and red fox.

Fay Vass, chief executive of the BHPS, said hedgehogs remain one of Britain’s best-loved wild mammals, but have suffered severe losses across the countryside in recent decades.

“Hedgehogs face many threats and are in widespread decline across the UK,” she told us.

“Our State of Britain’s Hedgehogs 2022 report – published jointly with People’s Trust for Endangered Species – found that rural populations have plummeted by between 30-75% since 2000.

“Yet encouragingly, the report also showed that populations in urban areas may be starting to recover – albeit from a very low baseline following years of decline.

“We think this is likely thanks to Hedgehog Street’s 130,000 volunteer Hedgehog Champions and the wider public who continue to make their gardens and local green spaces more hedgehog friendly.

“Featuring hedgehogs on our banknotes could help keep them at the forefront of people’s minds and encourage even more people to take action to help hedgehogs.

“Your vote could make a difference, so please have your say today.”

The Bank of England launched the consultation after choosing nature, with a particular focus on wildlife, as the theme for the next series of banknotes.

The new designs will still include a portrait of the King, but the main imagery will move away from the historical figures used on the current notes.

Winston Churchill currently appears on the £5 note, Jane Austen on the £10, JMW Turner on the £20 and Alan Turing on the £50.

The Bank said more than 44,000 people responded to its earlier consultation on the theme, with nature selected by 60 per cent of respondents as one of their preferred options.

People can choose up to two animals from each of three categories before 11.59pm on Friday, July 3.

Only animals on the shortlist can feature as the main images on the new notes, and the Bank is not seeking alternative nominations.

The final decision will be made by Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey, taking public feedback into account.

The British Hedgehog Preservation Society said putting hedgehogs on banknotes would celebrate an iconic part of Britain’s natural heritage and could encourage more people to make gardens and local green spaces safer for the species.

The charity said: “The hedgehog is one of Britain’s most loved wild mammals, yet its populations have declined dramatically in recent decades.

“As a species that has shared our gardens, parks and countryside for millennia, it deserves both recognition and protection.

“Featuring hedgehogs on UK banknotes would be a wonderful way to celebrate an iconic part of our natural heritage while raising awareness of the challenges facing these remarkable spiny mammals.

“Greater visibility can help inspire more people to support conservation efforts and take simple actions to make their gardens and communities more hedgehog-friendly.”

The full Bank of England banknote wildlife shortlist also includes the Atlantic puffin, barn owl, common kingfisher, Eurasian curlew, great spotted woodpecker and white-tailed eagle.

The amphibians, insects and fish category includes Atlantic salmon, basking shark, buff-tailed bumblebee, common frog, emperor dragonfly and marsh fritillary butterfly.

READ MORE: Nature loss could trigger ‘grim’ debt crisis for governments, economists warn. New research published in Nature says damage to pollinators, fisheries and forests could add US$162bn a year to sovereign debt interest bills, forcing countries to raise taxes, cut spending or push inflation higher.

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_{Main image: The British Hedgehog Preservation Society is urging the public to vote for hedgehogs to appear on new Bank of England notes, saying the species remains in widespread decline despite signs of recovery in urban areas. Credit: Christopher Morgan / Hedgehog Street.}