Blonde hedgehog protection proves a prickly issue

IT HAS been a bad fortnight for Alderney's blonde hedgehogs.A number of the island's rare-elsewhere creatures have been killed or injured recently and questions are being raised over whether our prickly friends should be protected by law.

In the worst incident, five hedgehogs - some of which were thought to be blonde - were found dead at the campsite, while another was killed in Barrackmaster's Lane. Meanwhile, three dogs were caught attacking a hedgehog near The Old Barn restaurant in Longis Bay and had to be dragged away by worried members of the public.

Alderney's animal experts are unsure how the campsite hedgehogs died because their bodies were so badly decayed.

States vet Helen Dickinson believes old age was the most likely killer, along with road traffic accidents.

'All five were in various stages of decay, so it's unclear what happened to them,' she said. 'There seems little chance they were poisoned and I wouldn't have thought they were attacked by dogs, though dogs will often hassle them. The most likely explanation is that they were old or had been hit by a car.'

But Alderney Animal Welfare Society veterinary nurse Jeanette Bathgate thinks the five may have been killed by a dog.

'The fact there were five together suggests they were either poisoned or had been attacked by a dog,' she said. 'It is not uncommon for dogs to attack hedgehogs - they will pick them up and shake them, which can cause shock, serious injury or even death.'

The hog attacked near The Old Barn is currently recovering at Animal Welfare's surgery in Le Val. He now has a name, Spike, and has made good progress in recent days - so much so that he could be returned to the wild in the near future.

Jeanette said dog owners should keep their pets on a lead in order to avoid similar attacks.

'It's not the dogs' fault - they're doing what comes naturally to them. If they find something they pick it up and shake it and it would appear this is what's killing some hedgehogs. The shaking causes shock and serious internal injuries.'

Jeanette went on to say that the States should protect blonde hedgehogs.

'They are renowned as symbols of Alderney and we shouldn't be allowing dogs, or anything else, to kill them. The fact that they have been attacked will upset a lot of people. It upsets me as I've cared for them in the past and released them back into the wild.'

Despite Jeanette's concerns, Helen has a different opinion over their protection.

'They should not be a protected species,' she said.

'They're just ordinary hedgehogs that possess a recessive gene which makes them blonde. Rabbits are also a symbol of Alderney, but we don't protect them.'

A States spokesman said blonde hedgehogs were not protected by law and that there were no plans to introduce such legislation.