{
  "id": 17496346,
  "title": "Britain will put wildlife on banknotes – something Malaysia did years ago",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/31/britain-will-put-wildlife-on-banknotes-something-malaysia-did-years",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-31T23:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/leisure/2026/11/01/britain-will-put-wildlife-on-banknotes-something-malaysia-did-years-ago"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Bank of England has unveiled plans to feature UK wildlife on its upcoming banknotes, following a public consultation that garnered nearly half a million responses. The selected animals include the barn owl, buff-tailed bumblebee, European hedgehog, and Atlantic puffin, which will grace the £5, £10, £20, and £50 notes, respectively. These choices were made to showcase the UK's diverse wildlife while enhancing the security of the banknotes. The new series will take several years to design, test, and produce, with the bank yet to determine which animal will appear on each denomination. In contrast, Malaysia's Bank Negara has been celebrating the country's natural heritage on its banknotes for years, with themes such as \"Distinctively Malaysia.\" The current series, beginning with the RM50 in 2009, features species like the rhinoceros hornbill, sea turtles, the rafflesia flower, and Mount Kinabalu. The front of the notes retains portraits of Malaysia's first Yang di-Pertuan Agong, while the reverse showcases patterns inspired by songket and the country's unique landscapes. Both countries aim to use wildlife imagery to represent their respective nations and strengthen anti-counterfeiting measures.",
  "summary": "The Bank of England has chosen owls, puffins, hedgehogs and bumblebees for its next notes, while the ringgit has long celebrated our country's natural heritage.",
  "key_points": [
    "Bank of England plans to feature UK wildlife on new banknotes",
    "Selected animals: barn owl, buff-tailed bumblebee, European hedgehog, Atlantic puffin",
    "Malaysia's Bank Negara has featured wildlife on banknotes for years"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}