Don’t forget to think about wildlife this Autumn, especially our prickly friends under bonfires.
BUILD YOUR BONFIRE ON THE DAY
DON’T BUILD IN ADVANCE
Hedgehogs are roaming this time of year to find somewhere to hibernate for winter Hedgehogs naturally live in piles of leaves and in log piles. When you build a bonfire this looks very attractive to a hedgehog and so they can nest in your bonfire overnight. If you build on the day they do not have a chance to sneak into the pile.
DOUBLE CHECK THE PILE
MOVE THE PILE AROUND AND CHECK FOR HEDGEHOGS
If you have built a pile of branches, logs etc move them around to make sure that if there is a hedgehog it has a chance to move out of the pile.
ONLY LIGHT ON ONE SIDE
ALLOWING HEDGEHOGS TO ESCAPE
If somehow you have missed a hedgehog only light the fire on one side. The smoke and noise should encourage the hedgehog to escape out of the other side which has not been lit yet. If you light the bonfire on multiple sides they do not have a route out.
IF YOU FIND A HEDGEHOG WHILE SEARCHING
ALWAYS CHECK FOR INJURIES FIRST!
If you find the hedgehog before the bonfire is lit and it has not been injured, put on some gloves or use a thick towel to pick it up and move it to a safe place i.e in a bush where it can escape. If you have children or pets keep them away from the hedgehog so it can move away from the area.
IF YOU FIND AN INJURED HEDGEHOG
TAKE IT TO A VET
The best thing for an injured hedgehog is to take it to a vet. Hedgehogs with burns or other injuries really need to be seen by a vet ASAP as these injuries can be life threatening. Put the hedgehog in a box with a light coloured towel and be as quiet and quick as possible.
Please help us look after hedgehogs, these sweet and spikey little animals are in decline and could soon be missing from our parks, gardens and countryside.
For more information on Hedgehog Friendly Vet Practices Suffolk please see our facebook page: