CONSERVATION
and moving well – and possibly holding nesting material,” Allman says. “If you find a hedgehog that appears injured, lethargic or wobbling, it is in need of urgent, specialist care. Retrieve it, and get in touch with a rescue centre straight away.” Allman says the best way to retrieve a hedgehog is to: ● keep handling of hedgehogs to a minimum as it causes them stress; ● unless injured, hedgehogs will curl up in a ball when they see you coming so, wearing gloves gather them gently and place in a high-sided box with ventilation and old towel to hide in; ● place the box in a quiet, dark place until the rescuer arrives; ● provide a shallow dish of water; and ● avoid disturbing by taking photographs
unless this has been specifically requested by the rescue centre.
Keep hedgehogs safe Evidence of hedgehogs in the area include trampled grass tracks leading to gaps in fences, mounds of leaves and twigs, and hedgehog poo, “which looks a lot like a dark slug often containing pieces of insects”, Allman explains. If hedgehogs are suspected or confirmed on site, Allman says to: ● leave food sources nearby; ● provide materials for cover such as hedgerows and log piles; ● create 13cm ‘hedgehog highways’ or gaps in fencing to move through; ● mitigate hazards such as open holes, ponds with no exit ramps and uncovered drains; and ● keep netting at least one foot off the ground, and remove litter that could cause entanglement. Useful contacts Help Wildlife Directory – directory.helpwildlife.co.uk British Hedgehog Preservation Society – 01584 890 801 Check the area for previous hedgehog sightings – www.bighedgehogmap.org For more information, visit www.hedgehogaware.org.uk
● making the consultant ecologist a key member of the project team from the start to conduct necessary surveys; ● developing a strategy with the ecologist to reduce impacts on roosting bats; ● demonstrating in planning applications how you have accounted for bats; and ● obtaining a European Protected Species licence from the relevant Statutory Nature Conservation Body; for example,
● building bat roosting habitats, including gaps under ridge tiles and creating bespoke bat houses; ● ensuring habitats for bats to move around and/or feed; and ● choosing the right lighting as bats are sensitive to artificial light. Be hedgehog aware Hedgehogs also need unique care if found on site. If a building team disturbs a nest, “the worst thing to do is move the nest to a different place”, says Dylan Allman, Hedgehog Champion at Be Hedgehog Aware. “Cover the nest back up and leave it alone, but ensure someone keeps an eye on it as if there are hoglets (baby hedgehogs), they will need to be rescued if the mum doesn’t return.” Hedgehogs are nocturnal so they shouldn’t be seen during the day. “The only exception is a nesting mum who will be staying close to hedgerows
Natural England, Natural Resources Wales, NatureScot or the Northern Ireland Environment Agency.
Once permissions are in place, including a European Protected Species licence where necessary, work can legally start, implementing safeguarding provisions with guidance from an ecologist such as: ● avoiding sensitive breeding or hibernation periods; ● ecologists supervising certain work on site such as roof stripping and erecting bat boxes;
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