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News14 February 2007 UHR welcomes proposal to end Uist hedgehog cullSNH board to decide on hedgehogs’ fate at meeting on TuesdayThe Uist Hedgehog Rescue coalition (UHR)¹ has today warmly welcomed a proposal from Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) officers to their Board² that the cull of hedgehogs on the Uists be ended in favour of a translocation trial. SNH’s Board will meet next Tuesday (20th February) to agree its future policy. The proposal to end the cull follows an announcement from the Scottish SPCA on Monday that it has changed its policy and supports UHR in calling for an end to the cull. The change of policy followed new scientific research confirming that the relocation of hedgehogs from the Uists to mainland Scotland is humane. UHR has opposed the killing of hedgehogs on the Uists since Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) announced its lethal policy in 2002. In order to save as many healthy wild animals as possible, UHR has rescued and relocated 756 hedgehogs from the Uists over the last four years. Scottish SPCA Inspectors have been invited to monitor UHR’s procedures over the years and have raised no concerns. The Uist Wader Project (UWP), consisting of SNH, the Scottish Executive and RSPB Scotland, has been killing hedgehogs on the islands since 2003 in an attempt to improve the breeding success of ground-nesting birds³. Translocation of hedgehogs was considered as an option by the UWP, but rejected due to concerns that translocated animals would starve. The Scottish SPCA has previously supported this position. UWP has so far killed 658 hedgehogs on the islands. In the last year two new scientific studies of hedgehogs from the UHR project have assessed how translocated hedgehogs fare. Research undertaken by Hugh Warwick showed that 80 per cent of animals relocated to mainland Scotland survived when deaths unrelated to translocation were discounted. Another study published last year, conducted by Professor Stephen Harris from Bristol University, showed that hedgehogs could be translocated successfully after rehabilitation and that their release, onto mainland Britain, had no adverse effect on local hedgehog populations. This research supported the findings of a wealth of previous studies conducted by hedgehog experts from around the world. The SNH paper states: "... it is recommended that we proceed on the basis of handling over any animals we catch to appropriate wildlife rehabilitation organisations, to a protocol agreed with the Scottish SPCA for the purposes of a trial translocation." UHR has today written to SNH and the Scottish SPCA offering to discuss its detailed protocol built on four years of successful translocation of hedgehogs from the Uists. UHR will be pleased to provide practical assistance and information with any trial translocation that meets its standards. Spokesperson for UHR, Ross Minett, said: "The proposal that SNH end its cull of hedgehogs on the Uists in favour of translocation to the mainland is great news. We believe that scientific research and decades of practical experience have shown that translocation is the humane and ethical solution to this problem. "To maintain consistent animal welfare standards, we are keen that all translocated hedgehogs should travel as short a distance as possible to release sites. Current UHR protocol involves direct transportation from the Uists to Hessilhead Wildlife Rescue Centre in Ayrshire for rehabilitation and release in appropriate locations nearby. "We have written to SNH offering our expertise and experience and are hopeful that its Board will choose to end the cull when it meets on Tuesday." Notes to Editors 1. UHR is a coalition of hedgehog experts, animal welfare and wildlife rescue organisations consisting of Advocates for Animals, the British Hedgehog Preservation Society, Hessilhead Wildlife Rescue Trust and International Animal Rescue. Hessilhead Wildlife Rescue Trust has coordinated and overseen release of Uist hedgehogs and Gay or Andy Christie can be contacted on 01505 502415. For more information see www.uhr.org.uk 2. The paper from SNH officers to SNH’s Board proposing an end to the hedgehog cull can be found at: http://www.snh.org.uk/board/detail.asp?id=268. The Board of SNH is to agree its policy at a meeting at Great Glen House, Leachkin Road, Inverness from 9.30am on Tuesday 20 February. 3. The SNH paper acknowledges that no comprehensive data have been collated to assess bird populations on the islands since 2000. |
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