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Hedgehogs at greater risk before and after hibernation, study suggests
Grace Johnson, of Hedgehog Street - a project run by PTES and BHPS - with a native hedgehog.

Majority of deaths occur from predation or vehicle strikes.

Rural hedgehog populations are more at risk immediately before and after the winter hibernation period than during hibernation itself, new research suggests.

The study, published in the journal Animals, tracked 33 hedgehogs from two contrasting rural populations in England - one near a base at Hartpury University, Gloucester, and the other at Nottingham Trent University, Nottinghamshire.

To their surprise, researchers found that none of the hedgehogs died during the hibernation period. Instead, all deaths occurred prior to or after the hibernation period, mainly from attacks by predators or vehicle strikes.

The study was conducted by Lucy Bearman-Brown from Hartpury University in collaboration with researchers at the universities of Reading, Keele, and Nottingham Trent.
It was funded by the People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) and the British Hedgehog Preservation Society, which together run the Hedgehog Street project.

Nida Al-Fulaij, Grants Manager for PTES, said, “Lucy’s research is really important. We can now focus our efforts on investigating what farm management practices, particularly of hedgerows and scrubby areas, can help give our rural hedgehogs the best chances of surviving hibernation.

“Ensuring hedgehogs and other wildlife have access to plenty of secure foraging and nesting areas is going to be critical.”

Hedgehogs populations are falling across Europe, with researchers estimating that there could be fewer than one million of them left in the UK. Despite its potential importance, however, little research has been conducted on the hibernation behaviour of hedgehogs in the last 40 years.


In the study, Lucy found that hedgehogs consistently nested close to some habitats, including hedgerows and woodlands, but avoided others, such as pasture fields.

“Our data suggests that hibernation was not a period of significant mortality for individuals that had reached a sufficient weight in autumn, but that habitat composition did affect where nests were built,” she explained.

“Therefore, land management practices – both historic and current – that provide hedgehogs with access to vegetated areas is likely to positively influence hibernation success and the survival chances of hedgehogs.”

Image (C) Hugh Warwick, Hedgehog Street.

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

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News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.