Watch out for wildlife

Jun 9 2005 Irvine Herald

WITH gardening season here, the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is issuing a reminder to gardeners across Scotland to keep a watch out for Hedgehogs.

Commonly known as the “gardeners friend” because they eat many garden pests such as slugs, caterpillars, beetles and earthworms, they face many potential dangers and hundreds are injured or killed in gardening accidents annually.

Gardeners are warned to be especially carefully when using strimmers to cut back hedges or in areas of undergrowth, as hedgehogs and other animals, are likely to be resting there during the day.

SSPCA spokeswoman Sandra Bonar said: “Strimmers can inflict horrific injuries to hedgehogs slumbering in nests in garden borders, or at the bottom of hedges.

“All we are asking is that people take a few moments to thoroughly check the area they are going to strim or mow, as doing this alone could help save many hedgehog lives.”

There are many other garden hazards, such as slug pellets laid down for pest control, which are fatal to hedgehogs, and garden bonfires, which kill and badly burn many hedgehogs every year.

Rubbish can also be dangerous so gardeners should make sure that they dispose of any empty containers properly. Naturally inquisitive, Hedgehogs can get their heads stuck in empty tins.