Meeting of the Parliament 08 November 2016
I will be honest and say that, when I first heard about the species champion programme, I asked for a fox. I was not allowed one as, I am told, they are not an endangered species. They are definitely in danger, though, which I hope we can highlight at a later date.
I am grateful to my colleague Graeme Dey for securing the debate and giving me the opportunity to speak about the species that I was very lucky to be given to champion: the hedgehog. This wonderful creature got its name because of its peculiar foraging habits. It roots through hedges and other undergrowth in search of its favourite food: small creatures such as insects, worms, centipedes, snails, mice, frogs and snakes. As it moves through the hedges, it emits pig-like grunts—thus the name hedgehog. It is the diet of the hedgehog, which includes many pests, that has led to its reputation as the gardener’s friend.
Hedgehogs are in dramatic decline—a quarter of the population has been lost in the past decade. There is no single reason for the decline in hedgehog numbers; it is likely to be a combination of several factors that together make life pretty difficult for them. There are environmental changes, such as the loss and fragmentation of habitat. There are fewer hedges, woodlands and wild areas than there used to be. We are now more likely to see a hedgehog in an urban garden than in the countryside, but even there their habitat is under threat as a result of the popularity of tidy, manicured spaces, decking and monoblock, and the fencing in of gardens.
There are a number of things that people can do to encourage hedgehogs to their gardens, including leaving areas of the garden wild or getting a hedgehog home. They can provide a little bit of food and water, make ponds safe for hedgehogs and avoid using slug pellets and other chemicals. A quick online search will give people full details about those things.
The hedgehog is nocturnal—it comes out at night and spends the day sleeping in a nest under bushes or in thick shrubs. If anyone sees a hedgehog during the day at this time of the year, it is likely to be a young one that has not had enough food yet to hibernate. In that situation, people should contact their local wildlife rescue centre, which will be able to help and advise.
I thank Hessilhead Wildlife Rescue in Beith for hosting my visit to its hedgehog hospital, and for giving me the opportunity to meet some of these amazing wee creatures and learn more about what we can all do to help. I hope that folk will consider some of the small steps that they can take in their gardens to help hedgehogs, and I look forward to playing my part as their species champion over the coming parliamentary session.
17:33