Animals


T e prickly fate for our hedgehogs Experts have said that hedgehogs could be at risk of dying out completely if action is not taken to prevent their numbers dropping.


T


he inclusion of the hedgehog on the Red List for British Mammals did not come as


a surprise for the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS), which has been at the heart of research charting the demise of one of the nation’s favourite animals. However sad that the hedgehog is


now a rare garden sight, it says the recognition of the animal’s vulnerable status presents an opportunity, giving impetus to those campaigning to protect its habitats and increase awareness. T is has been central to its campaign


Hedgehog Street, run in partnership with the People’s Trust for Endangered Species. Across the country, people are being encouraged to connect their gardens with small 13cm square holes. T e modern landscape, fragmented


by houses, roads, walls, fences and farming, is an increasingly diffi cult place for hedgehogs to navigate safely. “What people do on behalf of the


hedgehog is amazing,” says Fay Vass, CEO of the BHPS. “T e holes made in fences, the feeding, the hedgehog houses, the wildlife-friendly planting, the removal of hazards – all makes such a diff erence locally. “But it is not enough to rely on the


good will of individuals to protect this important creature,” she continues. “We need Government to enforce wildlife-friendly practices. From farming to development to transport, wildlife needs to be taken seriously.”


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