Help endangered species by donating soon-to-be extinct £1 coins

International wildlife charity Born Free is encouraging animal lovers across Britain to donate their old £1 coins to protect endangered wildlife before the coins become '˜extinct' next week.

New 12-sided £1 coins went into circulation on March 28, replacing the old, round £1 coins which will cease to be legal tender from midnight on October 15.

Born Free is inviting the public to donate their old coins to help endangered and threatened species worldwide - including tigers, lions, elephants and pangolins.

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Born Free President, Will Travers OBE, said: “Where are your old £1 coins hiding? Down the back of the sofa; in that old tin you’ve been saving for a rainy day; deep in the pocket of your favourite trousers; or under the bed! Wherever they are, track them down, catch them and send them to the best possible home – the Born Free Foundation – where they will help save lives.”

The coin cards feature an image of a tiger. Once ranging across Asia, wild tiger numbers have plummeted 93% in the past 100 years to just 3,500 today. The South China and Sumatran tiger subspecies are classified as ‘critically endangered’ by the IUCN. The remaining subspecies are classified as ‘endangered’. The main threats to wild tigers include habitat loss, conflict with humans and poaching.

For more information and to request a coin card (which can hold up to five old £1 coins), call 01403 240170 or see http://www.bornfree.org.uk/give/old-pound-coins/

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