Norfolk, Northumberland, Suffolk and now Essex, each county the scene of horrific attacks on hedgehogs in the last two months 

These wildlife crimes are no doubt a fraction of what is really going on. In the latest case to crawl out of the darkness, a lactating female hedgehog was kicked to death in Essex. Her babies would now be dead from starvation, flystrike, dehydration or predation https://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2023-10-04/hoglets-orphaned-as-female-hedgehog-kicked-to-death

Why does this happen over and over again in a self proclaimed ‘nation of animal lovers’ ? In 2020, in response to the Hedgehog Society’s e-petition 550379   https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/550379 the government stated ‘ We have no evidence that intentionally killing, taking or injuring hedgehogs is currently an issue’. 

Seriously ? How many hedgehogs must be tortured, mutilated, burned, kicked, covered in tar, caught in snares or shot before the UK government finally does the right thing and adds hedgehogs to Schedule 5 Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 ? Please ask your MP that question on social media or write to them ��https://www.writetothem.com/ .Please share the answer if you get one.

Finally, thank you for the fabulous support you have given to this campaign. Remember, I do have a second petition that also needs a serious boost. At 10,000 signatures the government must respond and at 100,000 we will hopefully get a parliamentary debate. https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/643081 

I hope tomorrow brings good news.

Maggie Wilcox