Ludlow charity hopes hedgehog banknote spotlight will help conversation efforts
The hedgehog's been voted as one of four animals that will feature on Bank of England notes
A charity based in Ludlow's celebrating hedgehogs being on the money!
After the Bank of England's recent consultation for wildlife on banknotes, the European hedgehog's officially been chosen as one of four animals that will feature.
The other animals with the most votes were the Atlantic puffin, the barn owl and the buff-tailed bumblebee.
The British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) said it's was amazing that the nation's favourite prickly friends gained almost 260,000 votes and will now be getting some much deserved spotlight.
Fay Vass, Chief Executive of BHPS, said: "We're absolutely delighted that hedgehogs have been chosen to feature on our banknotes, though we're not surprised they were voted the most popular mammal in the consultation!
"Huge thanks to everyone who voted. It's a wonderful way to celebrate an iconic part of our natural heritage while raising awareness of the challenges facing these remarkable spiny mammals.”
The public were asked to vote on a shortlist of 18 native UK animals, including mammals, insects, birds, fish and amphibians. More than 2.5 million votes were cast in total.
As well as the publicity, the charity also hopes with hedgehogs being in everyone's pockets and wallets, more focus will be put on conservation efforts as well.
Fay added: "Hedgehogs face many threats and are in widespread decline across the UK.
"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% and 75% since 2000.
"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 hope that featuring hedgehogs on our banknotes will help keep them at the forefront of people’s minds, while inspiring more people to support conservation efforts and take simple, practical steps to make their gardens and communities more hedgehog-friendly.
"From members of the public and business owners to politicians and decision-makers, we hope this will encourage everyone to play their part in protecting hedgehogs and supporting their long-term survival.”