Charity plea after increase in injured hedgehogs

The Jersey Hedgehog Preservation Group said it had put down four hedgehogs due to strimmer injuries

A Jersey charity has urged islanders to "check before you chop" after an early increase in hedgehog deaths this summer.

Dru Burdon, of the Jersey Hedgehog Preservation Group, said she had received ten hedgehogs since 6 May, four of which had to be put down due to strimmer injuries.

She said she believed vegetation growth due to the wet weather during winter and spring meant "everyone is out there with their strimmer early".

Ms Burdon said she had "never had a May like it".

'Put to sleep'

Speaking to BBC Radio Jersey on Friday, she said: "At the start [of May] we had four that had biffed noses and a slight cut and they're all alright, but in the last week we've had six more and four have been put to sleep.

"Once they get a cut nose, vets can't do anything because there's little bones in the nose that are too small to mend.

"Of course if a hedgehog can't breathe, it won't eat. You're between the devil and a hard place, if it can't eat, it isn't going to get better."

The charity takes in any sick, injured or orphaned hedgehogs and releases them back into the wild after rehabilitation.

Ms Burdon said it was "kinder" to put some of the injured hedgehogs the charity received to sleep in order to save them from a long death.

The charity takes in any sick, injured or orphaned hedgehogs and releases them back into the wild after rehabilitation

She said: "Don't stick your strimmer or your mower or any cutting tool into any vegetation without looking first.

"Put some gloves on and just part the grass or the bushes, just make sure.

"If it's really overgrown, if you cut to knee height first then you'll miss any hedgehogs and you can look.

"If people are paid gardeners then time is money and obviously that's difficult, but people in their own gardens have the luxury of their own time."

If anyone finds an injured or sick hedgehog they can phone the Jersey Hedgehog Preservation Group, the JSPCA or contact a local vet, the charity said.