Report from Chris Smith
Islands cull on course and no need to panic
By David Ross in the Herald, 9 th April 2003
THE hunt is on, but the hedgehogs of the Uists are proving more than a match for those trying to exterminate them.
One day into the cull of the prickly-backed mammal population of Uist and Benbecula, and Scottish Natural Heritage trappers have yet to catch any.
Rescuers hoping to save the creatures scored only slightly better, with just four apprehended in the last 24 hours.
After months of defending its approach as the only way to protect the internationally important species of wading birds threatened by hedgehog predation in the Uists, SNH (now referred to locally as Still No Hedgehogs) yesterday confirmed it had caught none of the 200 thought to be in North Uist.
This despite a twin-pronged attack involving 60 traps and six trappers using powerful lights to spot the nocturnal mammals as they headed for the waders' eggs.
Those found by Uist Hedgehog Rescue volunteers brought the number of "saved" to 23. There are an estimated 5000 hedgehogs on Uist and Benbecula, which now appear to be under no immediate threat.
George Anderson, an SNH spokesman, said yesterday: "We were not surprised not to get any (hedgehogs) in the traps, not least because we didn't put any bait in them.
"The trapper was concentrating on getting them into position.
"Neither did we expect to get any from the lamping. The area we were searching near Baleshare was right at the limit of where we expected to find them, so really it was good news there were none there. But we will carry on looking tonight."
Rejecting rescuers' claims that SNH had been indulging in black propaganda by exaggerating the threat from animal extremists, he added: "We are certainly not accusing the UHR of posing any threat to our staff. We think their approach is wrong and will lead to the hedgehogs suffering, and they think we are wrong.
"As far as we are aware they are staging a dignified protest, concentrating efforts on lifting animals. What we have to take into account, however, are the animal rights extremists."
Ross Minett, spokesman for UHR, confirmed that the volunteers working to save the Uist hedgehogs would not be taking direct action.
"We are not going to confront the trappers or anything like that. We are here to try and save hedgehogs and to try and get the SNH to think again."
Meanwhile, local opinion yesterday held that there was a more pressing wildlife problem than hedgehogs - the crows and ravens that attack newly-born lambs.
Margaret Macdonald, who crofts on the Balranald RSPB reserve, said: "It is very bad this year. A lot of crofters are losing lambs. I have had to take the sheep in to allow them to lamb in safety."
© The Herald, April 9th 2003
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