02/11/2022
With Guy Fawkes Night fast approaching, please remember to check your bonfires for hedgehogs who may be sleeping.
Our spiky friends are rapidly on the decline and you can help to prevent unnecessary loss. Follow this wildlife friendly advice from British Hedgehog Preservation Society:
• Don’t build your bonfire until the same day that you will light it. The longer it’s left, the more likely that a hedgehog will find its way into your bonfire.
• If you need to build your bonfire in advance, make sure you place chicken wire one metre high all the way around the bottom. This should be placed at an outward angle to make it more difficult for hedgehogs to climb.
• If you have stored materials for your bonfire outdoors, before building it move them to a different patch of ground before you start.
• Always place the bonfire on open ground but never on a pile of leaves as a hedgehog may be hiding underneath.
• Always check the entire bonfire for hedgehogs before lighting it. Remember that they tend to hide in the centre and bottom two feet in particular.
• When checking, lift parts of the bonfire section by section using a pole or broom. Do not use a fork, spade or rake as this may injure a hedgehog.
• Use a torch to look inside the bonfire and listen for a hissing sound, as this is the noise that hedgehogs make when they are disturbed or distressed.
• Always light your bonfire from one corner, rather than in the centre, in order to give hedgehogs a chance to escape if they need to.
Remember, remember the Fifth of November but don’t forget about our wildlife! 🦔🔥
Artwork by Becky Cameron Illustration ❤️