“JUNGLE BOOK” IS STILL NUMBER ONE

 

The Jungle Book is still king of the swingers, with a poll naming it as Britain's favourite forest story.

The survey was part of a campaign which saw hundreds of people holding picnics across Britain on Sunday to encourage people to celebrate their local woods.

Rudyard Kipling's classic topped the forest stories chart, with Lord of the Rings the closest runner up in the World Wildlife Fund-led survey.

Avatar was the newest story to reach the top 10, beating off competition from traditional tales like Hansel and Gretel and Where the Wild Things Are.

Nicola Round, campaign manager, WWF-UK, said: "The Jungle Book is such a classic story and a very deserving winner, but it was clear from our poll that all kinds of forest stories, from modern fables like Avatar to traditional tales like Robin Hood, still have a really big place in our hearts."

The Big Forest Picnic Campaign also encouraged people to use responsibly-sourced wood products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

Around 500 people were polled at various events and festivals as well as through Facebook.

The UK'S Top Ten Favourite Forest Stories, according to the poll:

1. The Jungle Book

2. Lord of the Rings

3. Winnie the Pooh

4. Robin Hood

5. The Faraway Tree

6. The Gruffalo

7. Into the Wild

8. Avatar

9. Where the Wild Things Are

10. Hansel and Gretel