The 'endless' problem with Hedgehogs living on Uist, Hebrides (1 Viewer)

[Peewit]

Hi there

As we know, there has been a lot of debate in the past few years about Hedgehogs living on the Hebridan Islands, and causing a lot of problems for ground nesting birds.

Here is a link that was update last November so it is recent

http://www.snh.gov.uk/land-and-sea/managing-wildlife/uist-wader-project/

The Redshank and the Dunlin are on-going targets for egg thieves like hedgehogs as shown on the One show 13/1/2011 along with Mike Dilger
Many other ground dwelling birds like the Lapwing are sure to lose their eggs in the same manner as many species

The new idea that is happening is that a sniffer dog is trained to sniff out Hedgehogs so they are caught for transportation to the mainland.

The decline of Hedgehogs is very apparent now and we need to look after the species. The decline is through so many issues such as traffic. Slug pellets and all sorts of problems that the Hedgehogs have to contend with.

What do people think of moving the Hedgehogs form the island to the mainland once more? This is not new but an old problem that has gone on for years now - sadly for the birds and the Hedgehogs together!

Regards
Kathy
x

 

[upstarts1979]

Yes the hedgehogs are suffering but there are still 1 million. They were introduced to the hebrides and thus did not belong there. No different to mink or grey squirrels from what I see. The original plan was to trap and kill the hedgehogs so surely removing them and sending them to the mainland is a better option. They do as much damage to breeding waders as mink do.
B John

 

[King Edward]

I think the idea of translocating hedgehogs to the mainland, instead of killing them, is more to reduce opposition from the animal rights lobby than something that is of benefit to hedgehog conservation. Whatever the causes of declining hedgehog populations on the mainland, moving in additional animals from outside isn't going to help one bit (even assuming that a decent number of them survive the move and establish OK in any case). It's unfortunate that the problem species in this instance is something cute and popular like a hedgehog, rather than something like a rat whose extermination wouldn't bother many people.

 

[MJB]

I think the idea of translocating hedgehogs to the mainland, instead of killing them, is more to reduce opposition from the animal rights lobby than something that is of benefit to hedgehog conservation. Whatever the causes of declining hedgehog populations on the mainland, moving in additional animals from outside isn't going to help one bit (even assuming that a decent number of them survive the move and establish OK in any case). It's unfortunate that the problem species in this instance is something cute and popular like a hedgehog, rather than something like a rat whose extermination wouldn't bother many people.

Nicely summarised!

Nearly all in the animal rights lobby have their hearts in the right place (otherwise we would not have the hard fought-for, if imperfect, legislation on the statute books in GB), but it would seem that not enough can, or wish, to think things through. In this case, hedgehog conservation researchers, I would guess, have no knowledge of where several thousand (?) animals could be translocated...annually...with a decent chance of survival.:-C

"If you think the answer is simple, you haven't understood the problem"

As an aside, it's odd that so many animal rights activists (eg in the case of the release of mink into the wild) would appear to be as unaware of the consequences as are the mindless people who abandon pets in the vague belief that 'they will be all right' (I guess they assume that dogs, cats and rabbits can feed themselves in their new Nirvana).
MJB

 

[Amarillo]

I think its pretty ridiculous to waste time trapping them and shipping them to the mainland. Just because hedgehogs are cute doesn't justify treating them any more nicely than rats or any other species that it has been decided its in the best interests of conservation to get rid of.

 

[watson]

I'm glad to hear others such as "Amarillo" mention "Just because hedgehogs are cute doesn't justify treating them any more nicely than rats". Its a pity so much of the public accept this point of view, but when educated professionals such as university lecturers for conservation start taking this point of view, I find this distastefull, particularly when they know it endangers the project. For the Uist wader project, Rats are killed in their hundreds or thousands even, and Mink and ferrets to a lesser degree, but still in high numbers if you consider the mink project. Hedgehogs are a pest on the Uists, and should be eradicated in the most speedy and cost effective manner possible even if this means the culling of many of them (obviously still in a humane manner).

Using the argument that hedgehogs are declining on the mainland, so we should relocate island hedgehogs to the mainland is a flawed argument. It is sad that hedgehogs are declining on the mainland, but is a very seperate issue and should be kept as such. If relocations are required, then the causes for the declines must first be identified then removed or altered otherwise the relocated population will go in the same way as the original population.

I'v been informed the relocated hedgehogs have been introduced at the same spot on the mainland for years. I'm not sure if this is true, therefore im not displaying that as a fact, just a comment. i'd really prefer someone to tell me this is wrong. Prior to the hedgehogs being released, the chosen area will be close to the carrying capacity of hedgehogs, therefore relseasing many more hedgehogs will seriously affect the survival rate of the others.

Hedgehogs are known to predate on eggs, and they will eat the young wader chicks. and the hedgehog density on the islands are HUGE! If the funding for this project is cut, there wont be any going back, the uists will just become an extension in the geographic range of hedgehogs, to the cost of the waders.