Wildlife act 1976 and hedgehogs

Our man in Havana

I was reading on another thread that a certain well known broadcaster was saying during the course of her show that she had obtained a hedgehog for her garden. Surely this is illegal as the hedgehog is a protected animal under the wildlife act 1976. Surely it is not allowed to kidnap hedgehogs to relocate them to your garden?

I would be interested in opinions on this subject.

star-pants

I don't know about kidnapping - I would assume that's not allowed. But I know a friend of my dads takes in animals that need a new home, he has cats, koi fish, turtles, think he's helped a hedgehog or two. But I didn't think you could really have them 'as a pet'. I know some people encourage the hedgehogs to come back by feeding them.

nellie07

Bond, that presenter can do what 'she' wants remember

Discodog

45.—(1) A person who is not a licensed wildlife dealer shall not sell, keep for sale, purchase for resale, or engage in taxidermy in respect of—

( a ) a protected wild bird or protected wild animal, whether alive or dead, or
( b ) the eggs of a protected wild bird.

(2) Subject to subsections (3) and (8) of this section and to sections 22 (5), 23 (7) (d) and 42 of this Act, a person who is not a licensed wildlife dealer shall not have in his possession a protected wild bird or a protected wild animal, whether alive or dead, or the eggs of a protected wild bird.

(3) Subsection (1) of this section shall not apply to—

( a ) the sale by a person of any live specimen of a protected wild bird or protected wild animal solely for the purposes of propagating, or of improving the quality of, such species,


I am not a lawyer but this suggests that it is legal if it is done for propagating !. If so then this clause is a free for all. Hedgehogs need a huge amount of food. Many Irish gardens are walled & may imprison a hedgehog with not enough food or any chance of finding a mate.

Munster Gal

I'm covered so!! We have a hedgehog/hedgehogs who live under our garden shed and who have been around for the past 4 or 5 years. I do feed them occasionally but don't interact with them (they're wild creatures, after all) - I just leave the food there. They live in relative harmony with the dog and cats, although the dog gets a bit freaked out by them if they ever cross paths.

Busta Hyman

you can purchase non indiginouse speicies of hedgehog that are not covered by that act

adelcrowsmel

Slightly off topic but got an email with these photos of a baby hedgehog recently - isn't it the cutest thing ever!!:D

woofie87

adelcrowsmel wrote: »

Slightly off topic but got an email with these photos of a baby hedgehog recently - isn't it the cutest thing ever!!:D

OMG this is the cutest thing ever, he looks like a cuddly toy not a wild animal! Hope he has a mamma to look after him!

Noopti

woofie87 wrote: »

OMG this is the cutest thing ever, he looks like a cuddly toy not a wild animal! Hope he has a mamma to look after him!

It isn't a wild animal. I think that could be an African Pygmy Hedgehog, which are bred as pets and becoming increasingly popular.

Interceptor

I am in no doubt that the greatest natural enemy of hedgehogs is lungworm and the next in line is cars. Any hedgehog which is moved away from danger and into a garden stands a better chance of settling and surviving than if it has to live near traffic for survival. A hedgehog will travel several miles in a night if it can't find food, but will rotavate a garden if confined. They can climb walls and fences to escape but won't bother if they don't have to.

I've had a hedgehog in my kitchen since last november and have learned a lot about them in that time (see pic). When I found him he had been mauled, had a broken leg and was infested with mites. He is now fit and healthy and has been making the transition back outside based on advice from the Belfast hedgehog rescue centre.

If you want to help hedgehogs, slow down in your car and take special care when strimming long weeds and digging in compost. Furze burning and strimmers do more harm to hedgehogs than some well intentioned telly-bat moving a hedgie into a well stocked garden.

'cptr

woofie87

Interceptor wrote: »

I am in no doubt that the greatest natural enemy of hedgehogs is lungworm and the next in line is cars. Any hedgehog which is moved away from danger and into a garden stands a better chance of settling and surviving than if it has to live near traffic for survival. A hedgehog will travel several miles in a night if it can't find food, but will rotavate a garden if confined. They can climb walls and fences to escape but won't bother if they don't have to.

I've had a hedgehog in my kitchen since last november and have learned a lot about them in that time (see pic). When I found him he had been mauled, had a broken leg and was infested with mites. He is now fit and healthy and has been making the transition back outside based on advice from the Belfast hedgehog rescue centre.

If you want to help hedgehogs, slow down in your car and take special care when strimming long weeds and digging in compost. Furze burning and strimmers do more harm to hedgehogs than some well intentioned telly-bat moving a hedgie into a well stocked garden.

'cptr

He is cute, looks healthy and happy. What are you feeding him?

Interceptor

woofie87 wrote: »

He is cute, looks healthy and happy. What are you feeding him?

A combination of dry and pouch kitten food, diced fruit (banana and pear) and chopped peanuts. That pic is a few months old - he's much bigger now and starting to take over the house.

He likes to hide behind the toilet (lots of spiders back there) and has startled several visitors with his snuffling when they least expect it...

woofie87

Interceptor wrote: »

A combination of dry and pouch kitten food, diced fruit (banana and pear) and chopped peanuts. That pic is a few months old - he's much bigger now and starting to take over the house.

He likes to hide behind the toilet (lots of spiders back there) and has startled several visitors with his snuffling when they least expect it...

Lol. My nanny used to have a hedgie like him. She lives in a huge old house with massive garden full of spiders and sometimes visited by field mice. He was hunting for them and making lots of noise at night. He loved the old shed as well. Was getting getting on with hens, geese and even two cats. One day he just disappeared, we like to think he decided he had enough of domestic life.....

girloperfection

adelcrowsmel wrote: »

Slightly off topic but got an email with these photos of a baby hedgehog recently - isn't it the cutest thing ever!!:D

Aww they are so cute.
I want one!

furtzy

Used to have to get up in the middle of the night to move hedgehogs! They would be rummaging around at night and our old jack russell used to come across them. She would bark all night at it and it would just curl up and the barking would continue non stop. So the dog would have to come in and I would end up rolling the hedgehog into a bucket and move it away from the house. Cute little critters

Lobelia Overhill

Bond-007 wrote: »

I was reading on another thread that a certain well known broadcaster was saying during the course of her show that she had obtained a hedgehog for her garden. Surely this is illegal as the hedgehog is a protected animal under the wildlife act 1976. Surely it is not allowed to kidnap hedgehogs to relocate them to your garden?

I would be interested in opinions on this subject.

Maybe she meant a hedgehog was coming into her garden and she adopted it and is feeding it?

doctor evil

People shouldn't be encouraged to 'adopt'/move hedgehogs to their gardens in case they are taking a mother who has young babies in a nest somewhere.

I haven't seen a hedgehog in years, our garden is partially overgrown so I like to think that they are there.

If people want to help hedgehogs slow down especially when coming to animal paths that cross the road and use less pesticides.

Lobelia Overhill

I found a hedgehog in my backgarden last year, eating the scraps I'd thrown out, I started putting out cat food for him/her, I like to think I adopted him/her. I'd no intentions of moving him/her somewhere else!

Interceptor

Lobelia Overhill wrote: »

I found a hedgehog in my backgarden last year, eating the scraps I'd thrown out, I started putting out cat food for him/her, I like to think I adopted him/her. I'd no intentions of moving him/her somewhere else!

Cat food - preferably not fish-based is ideal and provides all the nutrition they need. Chopped peanuts and fruit are good too.

Bread and milk are the biggest no no as they will kill hedgehogs if eaten in combination.

'cptr

Lobelia Overhill

I was giving him cat food I've not seen him since before Christmas, I think he got annoyed at me trying to take his photo

EKRIUQ

adelcrowsmel wrote: »

Slightly off topic but got an email with these photos of a baby hedgehog recently - isn't it the cutest thing ever!!:D

Here's the webpage

http://funlok.com/index.php/babies/cute-baby-hedgehog-20112008.html