Pauline Latham OBE MP has shown her support for hedgehogs in a visit to Hogs Haven hedgehog sanctuary in Mickleover, which looks after vulnerable baby hedgehogs through the winter.
Mrs Latham was greeted by Hogs Haven founder Stuart Macdonald, who has run the sanctuary with his wife, Hilary, for over 25 years from their home in Lark Hill, Mickleover. They take in baby hedgehogs which are found by the public to ensure they survive hibernation through the cold winter months and release them back into the wild afterwards.
The visit is part of the campaign to raise awareness of the hedgehog whose numbers have declined by almost a third in the last 10 years. The prickly creatures go into hibernation over the winter but have seen their numbers deplete due to not being able to adapt to the changing ecology of the country, in particular the decline in hedgerows in gardens in favour of fences and slabbing.
Mrs Latham has given her support to a petition launched by Plymouth Sutton and Devonport MP, Oliver Colville, to give hedgehogs the status of a ‘protected’ species under UK law. Animals currently on the list include dolphins and rare butterflies and lizards who have seen their numbers similarly decline and in some cases become extinct.
The petition and campaign was endorsed by The Times newspaper who gave its support to the Hedgehog Street campaign to educate garden owners about preserving green spaces and making their gardens wildlife friendly.
Pauline Latham was joined on the visit by fellow Derbyshire MP, Amanda Solloway, to meet some of the current residents of the hedgehog sanctuary and learn more about the work Hogs Haven is doing to protect hedgehogs.
Pauline Latham OBE MP said: “Many people will be surprised to learn that the UK has lost a third of all hedgehogs in the past 10 years as they struggle to adapt to the changes in ecology the UK has gone through. I am particularly concerned about the further loss of green spaces in Derbyshire which hedgehogs and other animals rely on to get around. Hogs Haven are doing a tremendous job to look after young hedgehogs and make sure they survive until it is safe and they are old enough to be released back into the wild. Stuart has a clear passion for wildlife and I think he and Hilary deserve a lot of credit for what they are doing to look after one of Britain’s most treasured species.
I encourage people to sign the petition to have the status of hedgehogs protected and also look at the Hedgehog Street campaign to find simple ways we can all do our bit to make sure hedgehog numbers are preserved”.
The petition is available here: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/121264