3 research outputs found
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An estimate of the scale and composition of the hedgehog (erinaceus europeaus) rehabilitation community in Britain and the Channel Islands
The conservation benefits of wildlife rehabilitation are equivocal, but could be substantial for formerly common species that are declining rapidly but are still commonly admitted to wildlife centres. We used a questionnaire survey to estimate the number of practitioners rehabilitating West European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) in Britain and the numbers entering hospitals/centres in one benchmark year (2016); practitioners were identified using an internet search and snowball sampling. Overall, 304 rehabilitators were identified: 148 supplied data on their structure, and 174 outlined the number of hedgehogs admitted in 2016. The former comprised 62.6% small (≤50 hedgehogs admitted year−1), 16.7% medium-sized (51–250 yr−1), and 20.7% large (>250 yr−1) hospitals; however, these accounted for 4.8%, 12.4%, and 82.8% of hedgehog admissions, respectively. Small hospitals were less likely to be registered as a charity, have paid staff, have a social media account, to record admissions electronically, or to conduct post-release monitoring. However, they were more likely to operate from their home address and to have been established for ≤5 years. Extrapolations indicate that this rehabilitation community admitted >40,000 hedgehogs in 2016, of which approximately 50% could have been released. These figures suggest that wildlife rehabilitation has potentially been an important factor in the dynamics of hedgehog populations in Britain in the last two decades
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Comparing non-invasive surveying techniques for elusive, nocturnal mammals: a case study of the West European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus)
Monitoring changes in populations is fundamental for effective management. The West European
hedgehog (Erinaceus europeaus) is of conservation concern in the UK because of recent substantial declines.
Surveying hedgehogs is, however, problematic because of their nocturnal, cryptic behaviour. We compared
the effectiveness of three methods (infra-red thermal camera, specialist search dog, spotlight) for detecting
hedgehogs in three different habitats. Significantly more hedgehogs were detected, and at greater distance,
using the camera and dog than the spotlight in amenity grassland and pasture; no hedgehogs were detected
in woodland. Increasing ground cover reduced detection distances, with most detections (59.6%) associated
with bare soil or mown grass; the dog was the only method that detected hedgehogs in vegetation taller than
the target species’ height. The additional value of surveying with a detection dog is most likely to be realised in
areas where badgers (Meles meles), an intra-guild predator, are and/or where sufficient ground cover is present;
both would allow hedgehogs to forage further from refuge habitats such as hedgerows. Further consideration
of the effectiveness of detection dogs for finding hedgehogs in nests, as well as developing techniques for
monitoring this species in woodland, is warranted
Recommended from our members
Comparing non-invasive surveying techniques for elusive, nocturnal mammals: a case study of the West European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus)
Monitoring changes in populations is fundamental for effective management. The West European
hedgehog (Erinaceus europeaus) is of conservation concern in the UK because of recent substantial declines.
Surveying hedgehogs is, however, problematic because of their nocturnal, cryptic behaviour. We compared
the effectiveness of three methods (infra-red thermal camera, specialist search dog, spotlight) for detecting
hedgehogs in three different habitats. Significantly more hedgehogs were detected, and at greater distance,
using the camera and dog than the spotlight in amenity grassland and pasture; no hedgehogs were detected
in woodland. Increasing ground cover reduced detection distances, with most detections (59.6%) associated
with bare soil or mown grass; the dog was the only method that detected hedgehogs in vegetation taller than
the target species’ height. The additional value of surveying with a detection dog is most likely to be realised in
areas where badgers (Meles meles), an intra-guild predator, are and/or where sufficient ground cover is present;
both would allow hedgehogs to forage further from refuge habitats such as hedgerows. Further consideration
of the effectiveness of detection dogs for finding hedgehogs in nests, as well as developing techniques for
monitoring this species in woodland, is warranted