The mighty hedgehog will roar

The lion has long been hailed a most majestic and fearsome creature. Respected by the other animals within its habitat, the lion has a purpose, pride and courage. And as far back as the time of Richard I, the lion has been used as England’s national animal for all the aforementioned reasons. As a nation, we supposedly share these qualities with the lion, hence the massive statues in Trafalgar Square, amongst other places, paying homage to our national animal.

However it has been suggested recently that this symbol needs to be updated and replaced. Trafalgar square should no longer be filled with the famous lions, but instead with giant hedgehogs. Huge, spikey hedgehogs which no one is going to be sat on posing for a family picture.

This comes after conservative MP, Oliver Colvile, suggested the Hedgehog becomes Britain’s new national symbol in order to boost public awareness of the hedgehogs decline in numbers. In the last ten years alone, their numbers have decreased by almost a third due to a loss of habitat. Certainly this is an issue that needs to be discussed, but whether it hold the gravitas to change our country’s whole identity is debatable. And surely there must be better ways of helping the hedgehog than putting it on our passports and England football shirts.

Ideas such as creating ‘specialist habitats’ with new housing, and making holes in garden fences for the hedgehogs mobility would make a huge difference. This alongside efforts of wildlife trusts could curb the decline of hedgehogs in the UK. Therefore, reducing the hedgehog’s chance of extinction doesn’t necessarily have to be done by changing the national symbol. And let’s face it, if every species in trouble were made a national symbol we’d end up with the wildlife chart of the UK slapped on a coat of arms. But the other species were perhaps not considered lovable enough to make the cut.

In fact one in three species have halved in number over the past half century. The tiger moth has taken one of the biggest battering’s with numbers having fallen 95%. Turtle doves have declined by 93% since 1970, and bats, butterflies, beetles, red squirrels and woodpeckers are just a few of the hardest hit species.

Maybe with the hedgehog as a national symbol awareness of the peril of all wildlife in the UK would be brought to centre stage. Looking at this from a non-conservationist, eco-unfriendly point of view though, the hedgehog is really not the kind of animal we need as a national symbol. Conserving habitats for our diverse wildlife is extremely important; but changing our national symbol will help neither the hedgehog nor Britain’s dignity.

Yes, there may be no lions roaming the British countryside, being tossed the occasional steak by passers-by. But at least the lion as a symbol doesn’t make us the laughing stock of the world. A hedgehog, on the other hand, probably would.