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Wildlife to Grace UK Banknotes: Your Vote Counts!
21 Mar
Summary
- Native British wildlife will feature on new UK banknotes.
- A public vote will decide which animals make the cut.
- The change aims to counter counterfeiters and promote wildlife.
The Bank of England has announced that native British wildlife will be featured on its upcoming £5, £10, £20, and £50 banknotes. This initiative, aimed at deterring counterfeiters by regularly updating note designs, has seen public support for replacing historical figures with animals.
A distinguished panel of experts, including wildlife broadcasters and academics, will curate a shortlist of potential creatures. This list will then be presented to the public for a vote later this summer, allowing citizens to directly influence the new currency's imagery.
Early public favorites include well-loved garden animals like the hedgehog and robin, alongside predators such as the barn owl. Other proposals suggest including less conventionally popular species like the red fox and toad, or even extinct animals like the white-tailed eagle, to spark conversations about wildlife conservation.
Keystone species such as beavers, which play a vital role in ecosystem restoration by managing floodwaters and improving river health, are also being considered. Swifts, recognized for their airborne lifestyle and dependence on buildings for nesting, are another strong contender, having recently won a Bird of the Year award.
