Back in 1974, a gardener brought four hedgehogs to the Scottish western isles of South Uist and Benbecula, to try and control pests.
Since then, lacking any predation (duh), the population of hedgehogs has exploded. And now they’re decimating the native bird populations.
So Scotish National Heritage has proposed exterminating them.
Animal rights organisations have reacted with horror to SNH’s proposals. “It was humans who disrupted the ecological balance of Uist in the first place. We now have a responsibility to all of the islands’ inhabitants to find an effective, respectful and non-lethal solution,” argues Ross Minett from Advocates for Animals in Edinburgh.
Um, perhaps if the hedgehogs were respectful toward the other inhabitants of the island, it wouldn’t be a problem.
And, yes, Mr. Minett is right that this problem was caused by humans. But, unfortunately, it needs to be cleaned up by humans, too. And simply relocating all the hedgehogs somewhere else doesn’t make any sense (and would, of course, be highly traumatic to the animals), since either they would continue to overpopulate, or would fall prey to predators in the location.
A spot of poison gas (or whatever “humane lethal control” is chosen), or being torn to pieces by a fox? Decisions, decisions.
(Via Quiddity)
They could respectfully and tenderly caught and moved to Advocates for Animals’ hq and members homes, entirely at their expense.
Randy, via Doyce’s machine
I’m sure the Advocates would be more than happy to do the catching, so as to be sure it’s being done in the most humane fashion possible.