Bonfire Night - a time of potential tragedy for hedgehogs.

Imagine you are a hedgehog - early November - and you find a pile of dried leaves, protected by some twigs, which are in turn held in place by some larger pieces of wood - wow, you might think, a kind human has built me a home to help me hibernate.

For more thoughts, pictures, and a chance to chat, please visit THIS version … thanks.

The update before last I promised you something about how you can actively help hedgehogs, and then I got distracted by that twit Matt Ridley.

But now I have calmed down enough to be able to beg you to spread the word … every year our friends and neighbours, inadvertently build amazing hedgehog hibernacula - which they then intend to burn.

What can you do? Well, if you have a local WhatsApp group or similar, share this post, or, this link to the British Hedgehog Preservation Society.

Here is the message from the BHPS - Stop. Move. Check.

Stop – do you need to have a bonfire? Can you attend a community event, or mark the occasion in a more wildlife-friendly way? The fewer bonfires there are, the fewer wildlife casualties there will be.
Move – if you do decide to have a bonfire, only build it on the day you plan to light it. Move all collected materials to a new, clear site just before burning, in case hedgehogs, other wildlife or pets have decided to hide inside.
Check – before lighting from one side only, check the entire bonfire pile carefully for wildlife and pets. Shine a torch inside the pile and gently lift each section with a pole or broom as you look. Never use a spade or fork, as these can cause great harm. Also listen for the huffing sound of a hedgehog which has been disturbed.

And if you do find a hedgehog before you light the fire? It is probably best to keep them out of the way - so the BHPS also give this advice:

• Gather it up with its nest and place it in a high-sided box with plenty of torn newspaper, towelling or straw. Ensure the lid has air holes and is firmly secured – hedgehogs are great climbers!
• Use gardening gloves or a folded towel to handle them – those spikes are sharp!
• Put the box somewhere safe and quiet, such as a shed or garage, well away from the festivities, and offer the hedgehog some meaty cat or dog food or cat biscuits and water.
• Once the embers are totally dampened down that night, release the hedgehog under a hedge, bush or log-pile near where it was found, with its original nesting materials and some more food and water.

Associated with bonfires there are often fireworks … I had really not been that aware of the impact that fireworks have until we got our old rescue dog, Ogli. The utter terror he experienced every night people decided to let loose a cannonade - the beautiful, gentle dog quivering in fear. We made a bed for him in the bathroom (the room furthest from an edge), put on radio, loud, and spend hours sitting with him. Though this year, he is now so deaf that I think he will be spared the terror.

And this made me wonder - surely many wild animals will be experiencing similar levels of awfulness, without the attentive care of someone trying to mitigate the damage. Do we really need this noise? Am I turning into a curmudgeon, or should we really be reconsidering what we think of as a ‘good time’?

There is growing awareness of the impact of candlelit lanterns floating off into the night sky - causing fires or capturing and killing wildlife … similarly with balloon launches … is it time to bring an end to fireworks?

Personally, I think there should be space for a single night of chaos in organised events. But the private sale and use of fireworks seems a little like it should find itself a place in history and just settle down.

Ok - next update I will try and not get grumpy … that is two in a row! Sorry!