Report from Chris Smith
Undercover hedgehogs defy execution squads
By Sally Pook in Daily Telegraph, 10 th April 2003
The doomed hedgehogs of the Western Isles appeared to be putting
up a valiant fight last night after only four of their number were lost
to a team of executioners.
With an estimated 4,996 still at
liberty, it could be many years
before Scottish Natural Heritage
finally despatches the last remaining
mammal.
So far, conditions have been good
for the hedgehogs - on the first night
of the cull, which began on North
Uist, the weather was so bad the
animals sensibly opted to stay
under cover rather than venture out
into the cold and wet.
Yesterday, as the weather warmed,
undercover troops from the Uist
Hedgehog Rescue - who are leading
the opposition to the cull - saved 31
from certain death. Nineteen of those were handed in by islanders,
many of whom took advantage of a £5 reward scheme offered for
every live hedgehog brought to them.
"We knew that hedgehogs would be killed, we could not save them
all," said Ross Minett of the Uist Hedgehog Rescue.
"But we are getting more and more support from islanders all the
time. One lady brought us in three yesterday and said she would be
back with more."
The £90,000 cull was ordered by Scottish Natural Heritage to stop
the hedgehogs eating the eggs of rare birds.
"We have just got to get there first and out-collect them," said Mr
Minett.
© Daily Telegraph, 10 th April 2003
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