Although a copy of the new RSPB Spotlight: Hedgehogs by James Lowen arrived from Bloomsbury a few months ago, I delayed adding it to the Newly Noted column in order to better align it with an annual threat to its subject: Bonfire Night bonfires.
Now don’t get me wrong; I love a good bonfire as much as the next person – any probably even more than many! But if you’re a hedgehog, come late October, a nice pile of sticks looks very inviting; just the type of cozy, well-protected place to settle in for a long spot of hibernation against the increasingly damp and cold British winter. And as hedgehogs are not particularly well-informed when it comes to the story of Guy Fawkes…well, they simply don’t make the connection that someone may have actually piled up all these sticks solely for the purpose of setting them ablaze come the 5th of November.
So please make it a point of having a look at this new RSPB Spotlight volume Hedgehogs for all it has to teach about these iconic little creatures, and also make sure you check your bonfire before you light it to make sure that one hasn’t already moved into your celebratory pyre for its winter home. Chestnuts roasting over an open fire are very festive; hedgehogs burning alive in one, not so much.
To get free posters that can be printed or shared on social media to help remind others about keeping hedgehogs safe on Bonfire Night, please visit the British Hedgehog Preservation Society‘s website.
