ADVICE has been issued to help keep hedgehogs safe from ‘horrific suffering’ this bonfire night.
The British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) has launched a three-step plan as well as advice on how to spot and save hedgehogs hibernating in bonfires.
Fay Vass, chief executive of BHPS, said: “A bonfire pile looks like a 5* hotel to a hedgehog seeking a safe and cosy winter home to hibernate in.
“They are not to know we plan to set light to it.”
BHPS said there are three steps a person should take before lighting the match:
1. Move materials to clear ground on the day they are to be lit.
2. Check the pile carefully.
3. Offer an escape route by only lighting from one side.
Hedgehogs will normally hide in the centre, at the bottom two feet of a bonfire pile, and it is advised materials are moved with a pole or broom – not a fork or spade, which can cause further injuries to the animal.
If a hedgehog is found, it is recommended that the nest be placed in a box with newspaper, and when wearing gardening gloves, pick it up and place it in the box.
The gardening gloves will ensure that the hedgehog does not have a human smell on it, which is important when it comes to releasing the animal back into the wild, and it helps avoid the prickly spikes.
During the festivities, place the box in a shed or garage and release the hedgehog under a hedge or bush with its nesting when the bonfire weekend is over.
Visit britishhedgehogs.org.uk for more information.
