Bank of England selects UK wildlife for new banknotes

The Bank of England has announced that its next series of banknotes will feature native British wildlife instead of historical figures. The decision follows a public consultation involving nearly 500,000 participants who voted on a shortlist of 18 species.

The four selected animals are the Atlantic puffin, the barn owl, the buff-tailed bumblebee, and the European hedgehog. The buff-tailed bumblebee received the highest number of votes overall, with approximately 360,000 people selecting it. The hedgehog won the mammal category, the barn owl won the bird category, and the Atlantic puffin was chosen as the representative marine species.

The new designs will replace current portraits of figures such as Winston Churchill, Jane Austen, JMW Turner, and Alan Turing. The RSPCA has supported the move, noting that featuring these species can help raise awareness and challenge misconceptions about animals that are often misunderstood or less celebrated.