Sadiq Khan’s rewilding revolution

The Capital is going to be brimming with beavers and storks. Apparently.

Sadiq Khan's City Hall is funding a rewilding programme in London

In recent weeks, many were bemused by the Bank of England’s plans to put wildlife on banknotes. Nigel Farage called the scheme “absolutely crackers”, a sentiment that was echoed by otherwise-out-of-touch Ed Davey, who said Winston Churchill “deserves better than being replaced by a badger.”

If the Bank’s direction seems a bit nutty, wait until you find out about the Mayor of London’s plans for the capital, in which wildlife can be expected to be everywhere. Indeed, I had a sense of deja vu when one publication announced that beavers would be on English banknotes – because for the past year I’ve noticed Sadiq Khan repeatedly tweeting about beavers (as well as bees, bats and storks).

He has marked events such as “the birth of two new baby beavers” and “a family of beavers being released into the wild in West London”, as well as his deputy mayor (one of nine) introducing the world to Willow, Woody, Chompy & Chewy” in February last year. It’s hardly what you’d expect the Mayor’s office to be up to.


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