Become a Hedgehog Detective!

PEOPLE in Carmarthenshire are being urged to help hedgehogs by playing detective in their gardens.

Research shows that the numbers of hedgehogs have declined by 50 per cent over the last 25 years.

Once a common site in gardens and the countryside, hedgehogs are now seen far less often.

To help establish numbers, a new project has been launched in Wales with funding from The Mammal Society, Wales Mammal Group and Natural Resources Wales to find out where hedgehogs are, and the size of their population.

The Mammal Society has developed a new method to successfully survey for hedgehogs, using footprint tunnels, through which small and medium sized mammals can pass, attracted by food as bait, and leave their footprints as they do so.

People are asked to help the project by placing a footprint tunnel in their garden, workplace or elsewhere and submit their findings on the Mammal Society website.

The organisation can then build a picture of the hedgehog population, which will in turn inform conservation action.

Groups that would like to get involved are asked to get in touch with the Mammal Society which is encouraging them to undertake the full, 10-tunnel survey from which data can be analysed from one year to the next.

Tunnels can be purchased from the Mammal Society or they can be made following assembly instructions on their website.

Carmarthenshire County Council’s sustainability officer Isabel Macho said: “By becoming a hedgehog detective people across the county can help inform this important survey which will in turn help conservation work.

“The footprint tunnels are fun and easy to use, and the whole family can get involved.”

For more information go to: http://www.mammal.org.uk/node/66; or call 07743085374.