Endangered hedgehogs feature on stamps

A hedgehog has done a 1st class job of helping Royal Mail launch their latest set of stamps highlighting the plight of mammals.

The hedgehog posed with the new stamps - part of the Action for Species series which turns the spotlight on the UK's mammal population and their struggle for survival in a changing world.

The hedgehog, Harvey, was found injured and very underweight and is being nursed back to health, by a member of the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS), a registered charity dedicated to helping and protecting hedgehogs native to the UK.

Mammals, issued on 13 April in a block of ten 1st Class stamps, is the fourth issue in the Action for Species series.

The British Isles is home to more than 60 species of mammals, but almost half of these have been introduced from elsewhere in the world, including some of the most abundant, like the rabbit and grey squirrel.

And because the UK has comparatively few land mammals, the selection criteria for the stamps was extended to include marine mammals, like the Humpback Whale, that spend part of their life cycle in UK territorial waters.

All 10 featured mammals are the subject of conservation programmes due to the effect of adverse changes in their environment.

These are caused by pollution, the growth in roads and housing developments, and in some cases, the introduction of non-native species, which have all contributed to a fall in numbers.

Julietta Edgar, Head of Special Stamps, Royal Mail said: “The Mammals issue is a great example of how special stamps can combine a series of beautiful images, and deliver a powerful conservation message to millions of customers every day. Fortunately, thanks to the efforts of conservation groups and the public, the UK's mammal population benefits from legal protection and active conservation measures resulting in encouraging signs of recovery.”

The Action for Species series began with Birds in 2007 and continued with Insects in 2008 and Plants in 2009.