Hedgehogs are set to appear on new Bank of England notes

We’re delighted that hedgehogs will feature on the Bank of England’s new banknotes! Winning almost 260,000 votes in the public consultation, they were the most popular mammal on the shortlist, which doesn’t surprise us one bit!

Fay Vass, Chief Executive for BHPS, said: “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 European hedgehog will appear alongside the Atlantic puffin, barn owl and buff-tailed bumblebee on the redesigned notes. No decision has yet been made about which animal will feature on which banknote.

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, with hedgehogs scooping 259,655 of them.

Fay added: “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 our supporters and fans, to business owners, politicians and decision-makers, we hope this will encourage everyone to play their part in protecting hedgehogs and supporting their long-term survival.”

Click to find out what you can do to help hedgehogs in your neighbourhood.