Charities warn of bonfire danger for hedgehogs
Jersey Hedgehog Preservation GroupWildlife charities have asked people to consider hedgehogs before disposing of any debris from Storm Austen in bonfires.
Animal welfare groups in both Guernsey and Jersey said more people may be planning to have bonfires after the storm brought down trees and branches. It comes as hedgehogs numbers have plummeted in the Channel Islands as the animals struggle to survive in hot summers.
Jersey Hedgehog Preservation Group advised people to build a bonfire on the day and not several days in advance as it "only takes one night for a hedgehog to move in".
Steve Byrne from the GSPCA in Guernsey advised people to check their bonfire carefully before setting light to it.
Gill Morgan, from the Jersey group, said: "Given that there will be plenty of raw material from the aftermath of the storm and the weather is due to improve over the next week people may be planning to get rid of their broken branches, twigs and leaves by burning them.
"Hedgehogs will be venturing out looking for food after the bad weather, and this is the sort of habitat they love to curl up in during the day."
The GSPCA has cared for 7,000 hedgehog since 2011.
Byrne said: "The winter weather causes challenges for our prickly friends so popping out water and food can really help them and with many thinking about bonfires next week we all need to help our hedgehog friends."
GSPCAByrne also advised people to check areas carefully before mowing or strimming, ensure netting is kept at a height that allows hedgehogs to pass safely under and check compost heaps before digging into them.
He also urged people to avoid using pesticides and poisons in their garden, to cover drains or deep holes and ensure there was an easy route out of ponds and pools for hedgehogs.
Guernsey Hedgehog Rescue Centre has previously reported a "steep" decline in numbers, while Jersey Hedgehog Preservation Group in St Helier has also reported a sharp drop.
The Jersey group said it had never had a casualty brought in after bonfire night but feared the animals would have been "killed outright and not rescued".
It said hedgehog numbers were in decline all over Europe, so any hazards that could be prevented would help their numbers recover.
Dru Burdon, another member of the group, said hedgehogs were under constant threat and would have struggled to raise their young this summer.
"With the very hot dry summers we have had the last three years, they have really been finding life difficult," said Burdon.
"Food has become very scarce just when they are trying to breed and increase their numbers again."