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Not So Natural Hazards
Manmade hazards and perils fall into four main categories: environmental, chemical, mechanical and deliberate killing or damage. The effect all these problems have on the hedgehog population is hard to estimate, one thing is sure, that the impact of such an array of new problems in such a short space of time is considerable.
Environmental effects include the destruction of habitat and shortage of food. As the human population increases, more and more of the land which was once a haven for wildlife has been turned into roads, farms, housing estates and shopping centres. Due to the hedgehog’s ability to adapt and survive, hedgehogs have found a way to live in an urban environment. However there is evidence to suggest that this is not without cost to the health of the town dwelling hedgehogs that tend to be unhealthier than their country dwelling cousins.
Hedgerows, where they are still in place around fields cultivated by agricultural machinery, can be very dangerous places for nesting hedgehogs- the hedgehogs may be carved up by farm machinery. Hedgehogs are now rare in heavily cultivated areas, it is only in less cultivated areas where hedgehogs can live relatively safely in the countryside.
Although a natural, hazard death by starvation when food is short will only increase for our prickly friends due to loss of habitat and the heavy use of pesticides, which eradicate the main prey species of a hedgehog’s diet. The ever increasing range of pesticides and other chemicals applied to the land pose a major threat, because hedgehogs eat many of the creatures targeted by pesticides slugs, beetles and caterpillars, then the hedgehog can fall seriously ill and die. Many of the chemicals ingested are not easily eliminated from the system, they are stored in the liver and fat and the effect of ingesting these chemicals will be accumulative.
Hedgehogs as mentioned in natural hazards have a habit of falling into things; the list of man made constructions a hog can tumble into is endless, cattle grids, swimming pools, ponds and water troughs. Hedgehogs also seem to have little awareness of their size and are very prone to getting stuck in pipes, drains, cups and cans. Unable to free themselves the poor hedgehog will starve to death unless rescued. Hedgehogs will also sustain injuries in their determined efforts to free themselves from hazards.
The worst hazards of all are machines, motor vehicles and strimmers are the worst. It is important to be aware that a hedgehog’s instinct is to rely on its trusty spines for protection. So hedgehogs are unlikely to move out of the way of oncoming vehicles, with disastrous results.
The strimmer is one of the worst weapons for inflicting horrendous injuries to hedgehogs. Whole limbs or noses are often sliced off. What makes strimmer casualties worse it that they are avoidable, always check long grass for hedgehogs before starting, better still don’t use strimmers at all.
The deliberate, killing, maiming or trade in wild hedgehogs represents the last category of manmade hazards. Gamekeepers and others who consider hedgehogs a menace continue to cull them. Many hedgehogs are kicked and battered to death in the name of sport or fun. It is hard to punish the perpetrators as sadly the SSPCA and wildlife crimes unit in Scotland do not seem to be interested in the cruelty cases involving hedgehogs which are reported to them.
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