Hedgehog massacre planned on Scottish Islands

Thursday July 04, 2002 15:31

by Pat Corcoran

Animal rights groups react with horror to SNH's proposals.

Over 5000 hedgehogs on the Western Isles of Scotland will be killed under plans being put forward by scientists at Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), the government's conservation agency.

Hedgehog massacre planned on Scottish Islands

17:20 02 July 02

NewScientist.com news service

Over 5000 hedgehogs on the Western Isles of Scotland will be killed under plans being put forward by scientists at Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), the government's conservation agency.

They say that "eradication" of the hedgehog population on South Uist and Benbecula is the only way to stop them eating the eggs of ground nesting birds, which are in rapid decline.

Four hedgehogs were introduced to the islands from the mainland in 1974 by a gardener who thought they might help control pests. Since then they have bred and spread to such an extent that SNH now considers them a serious threat to one of Europe's most important colonies of waders.

(Photo: Digger Jackson)

"They have caused absolute havoc," says SNH's George Anderson. "The least cruel thing to do is to humanely kill them. It is a tough decision to take but there is no viable alternative."

60 per cent decline

In the 1980s there were 17,000 pairs of waders breeding on the islands. But surveys over the past seven years have shown that the population of snipe and dunlin has dropped 60 per cent, that of redshank 40 per cent and lapwing 30 per cent

The main cause is predation by hedgehogs, maintains Anderson. In North Uist, which has not yet been overwhelmed by hedgehogs, bird populations have remained relatively healthy.

Animal rights organisations have reacted with horror to SNH's proposals. "It was humans who disrupted the ecological balance of Uist in the first place. We now have a responsibility to all of the islands' inhabitants to find an effective, respectful and non-lethal solution," argues Ross Minett from Advocates for Animals in Edinburgh.

But SNH scientists have already dismissed all the alternatives to a mass cull. They say fencing is ineffective, sterilisation or contraception unavailable, and trapping and relocation cruel.

In a paper to a meeting of the SNH main board on 9 July, they accept that the issue is "extremely sensitive" because hedgehogs are "beloved by the general public". Nevertheless they recommend "eradication of the introduced hedgehog population by humane lethal control". The method of killing is yet to be chosen.

Rob Edwards, Edinburgh

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