Samsung UK Reveals Britain’s Most Elusive Animals

Beavers, pine martens and golden eagle named in top twenty rarest sightings!
Almost half of Brits (47%) have never seen a hedgehog in the wild and three quarters of Brits have never seen a tawny owl

• New research identifies Britain’s most seldom spotted creatures
• The nightjar, the pine marten, and the golden eagle among the UK’s most elusive species
• Over a third of Brits (36%) weren’t aware deer could be found in urban areas and four in ten (41%) didn’t know bats were native to the UK
• Report commissioned by Samsung UK, who has partnered with wildlife photographers Kyle Moore and Ian Wood to document a series of nocturnal animals using the Samsung Galaxy S22’s Night Mode feature
• Video guide to spotting and safely snapping nocturnal wildlife presented by television and radio presenter Angellica Bell

Millions of Brits have never seen common native animals in real life such as owls, hedgehogs, and badgers, according to a new report released today.

The research identifies Britain’s most elusive animals with the easily camouflaged nocturnal bird the nightjar topping the list with only 7% of Brits having seen one in the wild.

Protected species and woodland native the pine marten came in as second least seen (11%) alongside the solitary pygmy shrew (11%).

The new study, which surveyed 2,000 Brits, was specially commissioned by technology giant Samsung UK, who has partnered with wildlife photographers Kyle Moore and Ian Wood to document a series of the UK’s nocturnal using the Samsung Galaxy S22’s Night Mode function.

Other creatures’ adults haven’t seen in their natural habitats include the dormouse (87%), muntjac deer (82%) and pipistrelle bat (84%).

Grass snakes remain a mystery for 71% whilst 76% haven’t set eyes on a tawny owl and only 28% claiming to have seen a badger.

The top 20 most seldom spotted creatures are revealed as:

1. Nightjar (7%)
2. Pine marten (11%)
3. Pygmy shrew (11%)
4. Hazel dormouse (13%)
5. Beaver (15%)
6. Golden eagle (15%)
7. Otter (15%)
8. Pipistrelle bat (16%)
9. Stoat (17%)
10. Water vole (17%)
11. Puffin (17%)
12. Muntjac deer (18%)
13. Cuckoo (19%)
14. Mole (23%)
15. Tawny owl (24%)
16. Sparrowhawk (26%)
17. Kingfisher (28%)
18. Badger (28%)
19. Roe deer (28%)
20. Grass snake (29%)

Respondents were asked which the UK’s most elusive creatures they had seen in the wild with two thirds (66%) revealing they have never seen Britain’s native red squirrel and 47% claiming to have never seen a hedgehog.

Four in ten (41%) of those surveyed said they didn’t know bats were native to the UK, despite the nocturnal creatures representing a quarter of all indigenous mammals in Britain.

Almost a third of Brits (36%) weren’t aware that species of deer could be found in cities, even though the deer population in the UK is at the highest it’s been for over 1,000 years. Does and stags are regularly spotted in urban areas and villages around the UK, from Glasgow, to Sheffield and London.

Over a quarter of respondents (27%) admitted they’d only had the opportunity to see wildlife like owls, bats, and badgers when at wildlife sanctuaries or zoos.

Wildlife populations are growing across UK cities making it easier than ever to spot critters in the back garden or crossing city roads, with London alone being home to more than 15,000 known species across birds, insects, and mammals.

When it comes to capturing pictures and video of wildlife in their garden, 62% believe they don’t have the right access technology to snap animals, with 59% wishing they had access to high quality cameras for this reason.

Samsung UK has partnered with TV and radio presenter Angellica Bell to create a video guide to help the public spot and safely capture photography of British wildlife using the Galaxy S22 and its Night Mode and Pro camera functions.

The guide follows wildlife photographers Ian Wood and Kyle Moore as they spot and snap pictures of a Britain’s most elusive animals including badgers, hedgehogs, and deer.

Dr Bryony Tolhurst, Lecturer in ecology at the University of Brighton said:

“It’s no surprise that the Nightjar and the Pine Marten are named as the UK’s most elusive animals as they only live in certain places and are secretive and hard to spot. Despite popular belief, UK towns and cities aren’t devoid of wildlife at all and in fact are home to a wide array of mammals, birds, and insects. Some of the animals on the list are nocturnal and live on our doorsteps, so some of the best opportunities to see the animals is when the sun starts going down.”

Ashrita Seshadri, Head of Brand Marketing at Samsung UK added:

“When developing the Samsung Galaxy S22, we wanted to give our community the most advanced camera experience possible. Night Mode allows users to capture amazing shots in lowlight and night-time conditions making it the ultimate tool for the urban wildlife photographer just as these illusive animals come to life.”

Angellica Bell said:

 “In the UK’s built-up urban cities, it’s easy to forget just how many amazing animals are living alongside us. From the urban fox on the prowl to a herd of deer living in a housing estate, it was incredible to work with two talented wildlife photographers who were able to capture unbelievable footage of these animals. Following their simple tips, you could be on your way to becoming an accomplished wildlife snapper in no time, and capture some of our incredible wildlife too!”

The Samsung Galaxy S22 smartphone series features Night Mode technology which takes ultra-high-quality Nightography photos and videos in low-light conditions.

The new Samsung Galaxy S22 range is available now on Samsung.com and selected retailers including Selfridges, Harrods, and Samsung KX.

For more information Samsung KX