Natural History Wanderings

BBC Nature reports on one place hedgehogs are not wanted. The UK hedgehog population has declined from 25 million to less than million and there is a possibility they could be extinct in the UK by 2025. Meanwhile the hedgehogs are most unwelcome guests in Western Scottish Isles.

In the western Scottish Isles, hedgehogs, who are not native here, were introduced to control slugs and snails. The hedgehog population grew rapidly as there were less hazards to them such as traffic, pesticides and predation by badgers. The hedgehogs were blamed for the declining population of wading birds and started being culled. Opposition to the killing of the hedgehogs led to stopping the killing and instead relocating the hedgehogs to other locations.

Although it is known that the hedgehogs did take wading birds’ eggs, it now thought that climate change and farming methods may be even more to blame for the population decline among wading birds. Further studies are taking place.

Read more at: BBC Nature – Why hedgehogs are not welcome in the Hebrides