Green Page – November

Remember, remember… … to check your bonfire

Photo credit: The Wildlife Trusts 

As you look forward to celebrating Bonfire Night and enjoying the fireworks displays, you may not think about the wildlife around you.

Yet at this time of year many species are looking for sheltered places. This includes the nations favourite mammal, the hedgehog.

At this time of year, hedgehogs are looking for shelter and potential hibernation sites. To a hedgehog, an unlit bonfire - a large dry pile of untouched wood - is the perfect place to hide. Unfortunately, many hedgehogs fall victim to bonfires, becoming trapped inside the pile once it is lit. With large amounts of people around and the flames growing many hedgehogs cannot escape and are killed inside the bonfire.

 

Photo credit: The Wildlife Trusts, Hedgehog © Jon Hawkins – Surrey Hills Photography

However, there are ways we can help prevent this and help protect our hedgehogs:

Firstly, try to build your bonfire on the day or a few hours before you need it. This reduces any chance of hedgehogs finding and hiding inside your bonfire before you light it. If a bonfire must be built beforehand, dismantle and move it to a different position on the day so you can check that nothing has found its way inside before lighting.

Similarly, keep the materials you plan to use to build the bonfire in a secure place and build the bonfire in a different area.

Secondly, when building your bonfire, build it in an open area. Look to avoid anywhere with piles of leaves, logs and garden waste, areas of scrub or near any hedgehog houses. These are the places where hedgehogs are most likely to hide or be resting and building a bonfire next door may attract them.

Thirdly, make sure when checking a bonfire, you check all of it or dismantle it completely before lighting. Hedgehogs will often be in the base or centre of the bonfire, being the darkest and warmest place. Use a torch to check thoroughly and listen out for any huffing sounds as this is the sound a hedgehog will make if disturbed.

 

If you do find a hedgehog in your bonfire, remove it calmly and carefully. Use gardening gloves to gently pick up the hedgehog and move it to a newspaper lined cardboard box. You can also transfer any nesting material the hedgehog was sitting in to the box. Once secure, if the hedgehog is unharmed, relocate it to a safe location. Find somewhere away from the bonfire and any large groups of people and release it under a bush or log pile or somewhere where there is good cover for it. Once released, you are free to return to your bonfire and enjoy the evening celebrations!

When lighting it is also a good idea to light from one side of the bonfire to give anything left in the bonfire, hedgehog or otherwise, a final chance to escape.

 

 Photo credit: People’s Trust For Endangered Species (PTES)

If you find an injured hedgehog in your bonfire, please put it in a box as before and contact your nearest wildlife or hedgehog rescue as soon as possible. Rescues and The British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) will also be able to give advice on what to do if you find a hedgehog.

Contact Us - The British Hedgehog Preservation Society

Royston’s most local rescue is Shepreth Hedgehog Hospital.

About the SWCC Hedgehog Hospital — SWCC Shepreth Wildlife Conservation Charity

The British Hedgehog Preservation Society also have more information on their website about protecting hedgehogs this bonfire night.

Keep hedgehogs in mind this bonfire night - The British Hedgehog Preservation Society

By double checking our bonfires we can ensure all is safe and make the most of the celebrations!