Jersey residents called for bonfires to be checked for hedgehogs

People should check bonfires for hedgehogs before lighting them, a nature center says.

The Jersey Hedgehog Preservation Group said a pile of sticks, branches and leaves made a “nice” home for hedgehogs.

It urged people to build bonfires on the day they were due to be lit to ensure there were no sleeping hedgehogs in them.

“They have no real predators in Jersey – except us humans – and with numbers dwindling we really need to keep an eye out for them,” the report said.

The warning comes after the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) updated the status of Western European hedgehogs on its red list to “almost threatened“.

A rescue spokesman said: “Unlike other mammals, which run away, our little pigs will curl up into a ball at the first sign of danger.

“If possible, build the bonfire on the day you light it so you know no hedgehog has taken up residence.

“Maybe move the pile forward a few feet and be careful not to stick a fork through a sleeping pig.”

Rescuers said fireworks can disorient hedgehogs and cause a mother to abandon her babies.

“We have had a few young people this week, so we are asking people to be vigilant,” the report said.

Staff added that they took into their care a hedgehog last week after it was found with two puncture wounds on its back, believed to have been caused by a garden fork.

“The vet sewed one up, but the second was treated with antibiotics and is clearly visible,” it said.

“Fingers crossed he will eventually recover.”