| November can be an
alarming month for hedgehogs. Snuggled up tight in
inviting piles of leaves and debris, many are burned alive
on Bonfire Night so always turn over a bonfire gently
before lighting it.
However, the most adverse effect on hedgehogs is the
increasing intensification of farming in the UK. A
nationwide survey, funded by the Joint Nature Conservation
Committee and the Mammals Trust UK, suggests that hedgehog
numbers in East Anglia have fallen 50 percent since 1991.
Other areas such as Yorkshire and South East England have
shown a 40 percent drop. The data was collected last year
by a team of volunteers who recorded the number of
hedgehogs, badgers, rabbits and foxes killed on the roads.
Adult hedgehogs are useful to
gardeners as they can eat almost half their own body
weight (1.8k / 4lb) of slugs, snails and caterpillars in a
day. |
