Action for Hedgehogs

On 26 January 2021 former Transport Secretary Chris Grayling tabled an amendment to the Environment Bill, which, he said, would add hedgehogs to the list of protected animals under the Wildlife and Countryside Act. This places a legal obligation on developers to search for the animals and take action to reduce the risk to them from building. The Environment Bill is still at Report stage and has yet to have its third reading which is followed by going to the Lords for another three readings before final considerations and Royal Assent by our Queen.

Rough estimates in 2018 put the population at one million, compared with 30 million during the 1950s.

What we can do in Exminster:

• If you want hogs in your garden don’t put down slug pellets as when the hogs eat the dead slugs they will become poorly.
• Re-wild small parts of your garden to encourage all wildlife – the bonus is it’ll mean less tidy garden to maintain!
• Speak to your neighbours and create holes in your fences called ‘hedgehog highways’. Hogs need to travel around at night and will cover an area about the size of a football pitch so they need access through hedges and fences or under gates.
• Consider having a hog feeder in your garden (see the photos below) and see if any hogs turn up.
• Feed hogs with dry cat biscuits (meat or chicken but not fish) and a bit of water.
• You can buy or make a nest box as per the plan below, but there are many other ideas, see the Devon Wildlife Trust website for a simple box
• If you want to know more about hogs go on-line to the British Hedgehog Preservation Society