Report from Chris Smith
Hedgehog cull on the Western Isles claims 250
By John Ross in the Scotsman, 29 th May 2004
MORE than 250 hedgehogs have been killed in the Western Isles during the second cull carried out on the islands.
The cull, which began on 5 April, ended this week after workers covered an area of 60 sq km over 250 crofts in North Uist and Benbecula. In all 253 hedgehogs have been culled, 240 from Benbecula and 13 from North Uist.
The controversial cull started last year in North Uist when 66 of the estimated 90-strong hedgehog population on the island were caught and given a lethal injection.
The exercise, which aims to eradicate entirely the 5,000 non-native hedgehogs on the islands, continued after Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) agreed it was necessary to protect important populations of native wading birds.
The cull involves trappers, recruited by the partnership in the Uist Wader Project, hunting for the hedgehogs as they emerge from winter hibernation.
The cost of last year's work, which included the cull and research on the birds, was £90,000. The budget for this year was capped by the SNH board at £186,475.
Animal rescuers are joining forces with Bristol University to carry out a study into relocating the hedgehogs to areas where the creatures already live. However, SNH insists a cull is the most humane way of dealing with the creatures.
George Anderson, a spokesman for SNH, said the organisation is pleased to find so few North Uist animals this year, as it indicates that last year's searches were effective.
He said: "We are very pleased with the last eight weeks' work - which will have given many breeding birds on the islands relief from hedgehog predation. There are chicks being reared in nests right now which would not have hatched but for our efforts.
"Once again we have received enormous co-operation from crofters - at a busy time in the agricultural year - and we would like to extend our thanks to them."
He added: "We remain convinced that culling the animals was a better option than moving them to mainland UK - an option which we believe would lead to the deaths of both Uist and mainland hedgehogs. We hope the whole sorry saga of the Uist hedgehogs will at least alert people to the folly of releasing non-native species into the countryside - particularly on islands."
The protest group Advocates for Animals, which has criticised the cull, has so far helped rescue 185 hedgehogs for relocation to the mainland and will continue their search over the weekend. They have been giving volunteers who hand over animals £20 a head, with 124 people collecting the reward. Most of the hedgehogs will be relocated to sites across Scotland, with 20 going to the Bristol University study.
Last year they relocated about 150 hedgehogs after offering a£5 reward to local people. Earlier this month the volunteers feared some of the bounty may be claimed by the taxman, but the Inland Revenue later confirmed the money was not taxable. Animal groups blamed the uncertainty on "mischief making".
Ross Minnet, a director of Advocates for Animals, said: "We feel it's a shame SNH has chosen again this year not to work with us, as undoubtedly we could have achieved an awful lot more and done more for the waders.
"This year they have spent nearly £200,000 of taxpayers money, on top of the money already spent on the cull, and our rescue has cost the taxpayer nothing."
© The Scotsman, 29 th May 2004
 |
 |
 |
| Return to index | Return to Exotic Scottish Animals | Return to Hedgehogs |