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Gardeners encouraged to help hedgehogs
The RSPCA has cared for more than 10,000 hedgehogs over the past five years.

Up to three quarters of the rural population has been lost.

The RSPCA is appealing to gardeners to do more to help hedgehogs as the species continues to struggle, with starvation now a major threat to their survival owing to a decline in the insects they eat.

The charity will highlight the issue with a hedgehog-friendly garden at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, which will include three hedgehog houses, a dead hedge habitat, and beds of pollinator-friendly plants. It is hoped the garden will inspire people to encourage wildlife into their gardens and protect them from harm.

Other tips for helping hedgehogs have been shared by the charity, including prioritising real lawns over artificial grass or gravel, creating bug hotels to boost the insect population, and providing a ramp in and out of ponds. Tinned dog or cat food can be left outside for hedgehogs overnight, but milk can cause diarrhoea and bread is not nutritious enough.

Highlighting the plight of the species, the RSPCA revealed that it has taken more than 10,000 hedgehogs into care in the past five years. A 2022 study by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society and the People’s Trust for Endangered Species found that the rural hedgehog population in British has declined by up to 75 per cent in the past twenty years.

Evie Button, scientific officer at the RSPCA said: “It’s really sad to think that our beloved night time garden visitors are at risk of starving in our own backyards. With busier roads, increased building sites and loss of hedgerows all impacting a hedgehog’s natural environment and their ability to find food, it’s essential we all do what we can not only to protect hedgehogs, but also to help them thrive.”

Martyn Wilson, who has designed the RSPCA garden, added: “Hedgehogs are a gardener's friend as they eat beetles, caterpillars, worms and other invertebrates, so as gardeners we need to be doing all we can to protect them from dangers such as harmful pesticides that wipe out their food sources.

“We all have a responsibility to help wildlife, and we can also make it easier for hedgehogs to thrive and find food and water. It’s simpler than you might think and the good news is hedgehogs can be welcomed into the garden without compromising on style. The RSPCA Garden demonstrates plenty of ways people can take simple but effective steps in their own gardens.”

 

Images (C) RSPCA

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BSAVA's new president starts role

News Story 1
 Julian Hoad has been confirmed as the new president of the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA), taking over from Carl Gorman.

The veterinary surgeon is the BSAVA's 67th president, and has described stepping into the role as the pinnacle of his veterinary career.

Speaking at the BSAVA's AGM, Dr Hoad said: "I really do believe that the BSAVA will continue to go from strength to strength and will continue to maintain its relevance and position as the indispensable voice of the small animal veterinary profession." 

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News Shorts
Rise in temperature means increased bluetongue risk

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has warned that the recent rise in temperature means there is now an increased risk of bluetongue in England.

Although there have been no confirmed cases of the disease since March, the most recent risk assessment found that there is a very high probability of the virus being brought over by windborne midges from northern Europe.

Farms along the east and south coast of England, from Norfolk to East Sussex, are at the highest risk. Farmers are being asked to monitor their animals regularly for signs of the virus.

UK chief veterinary officer Christine Middlemiss said: "We know that the likelihood of bluetongue virus entering Great Britain is increasing and so I would urge farmers to remain vigilant and report any suspicions to the Animal and Plant Health Agency."