New campaign celebrates London’s urban wildlife while warning many species are in decline
Foxes weaving through residential streets after dark, peregrine falcons nesting high above the skyline and even beavers returning after centuries away are at the heart of a new campaign encouraging Londoners to see the capital’s urban wildlife in a different way.
The campaign, displayed across Ocean Outdoor’s digital advertising screens through its annual Drops in the Ocean initiative, invites people to think of the animals living in the city as “wild Londoners” rather than visitors to an urban environment.
Using humour and familiar London stereotypes, the campaign highlights how species have adapted to life in one of the world’s busiest cities while reminding residents that surviving in an urban landscape does not mean wildlife is thriving.
Despite the resilience shown by many species, conservation data paints a worrying picture. More than 41 per cent of UK wildlife species have declined since the 1970s, while an assessment of 529 urban species found that 37 are now considered at risk of extinction.
The campaign aims to encourage greater awareness of the urban wildlife people encounter every day and promote simple actions that can help nature recover across London.
Visitors are invited to complete an online quiz that matches them with a London species based on their personality while also sharing facts about urban wildlife and practical ways to support biodiversity in the capital.
Among the animals featured are hedgehogs, which are benefiting from connected gardens and green spaces in some urban areas, and starlings, known for their highly social behaviour and remarkable ability to imitate sounds.
The campaign also draws attention to the recent return of beavers to London after an absence of more than 400 years. The animals are recognised for creating wetlands that provide habitat for amphibians, insects, birds, bats and other wildlife.
Peregrine falcons also feature prominently, with up to 50 breeding pairs now nesting on some of London’s tallest and most recognisable buildings, demonstrating how certain species have adapted to modern city life.
Campaign organisers hope encouraging people to think of wildlife as neighbours rather than distant nature will inspire more Londoners to notice, value and help protect the species sharing the capital with them.
Have you spotted wildlife in your neighbourhood recently? Share your sightings and tell us which species you see most often where you live. Read more London environment and conservation news at EyeOnLondon.
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