Europe’s Five!
Africa has its so-called Big Five, but what about Europe? Yes, we can all make suggestions for a European Big Five, but that would be referring to Africa in a way which may not best serve the European context. Here at Rewilding Europe, employing our playful sense of humour, we propose something more ambitious: making multiple selections of species – from large to small, mammal to insect, bird to fungus – which we collectively propose as contenders for “Europe’s Five”. Here we present a selection of what we call the European “Fabulous Fives”. The link to Europe is made with the word “fabulous” (after all, who hasn’t heard of The Beatles, Europe’s one-time “Fabulous Four”?). These whimsical quintets pay testament to the inspirational beauty and diversity of Europe’s wild nature.
Eight selections of iconic animals and plants that represent Europe’s rich biodiversity.