HEDGEHOGS
IN DANGER
Despite a massive protest from the
general public, 5000 hedgehogs on South Uist and Benbeccular are to be culled.
What really matters about this is the fact that human beings are
once again reaching for the humane killer, or the gas canister to
resolve a nonhuman problem. In the same way that thousands of cattle,
sheep and pigs had to die in the recent foot and mouth out break,
the same way that farmers and others demand the gassing of badgers
because of a link with TB in cattle. This is an attitude of mind
that makes me ashamed of my humanity.
There has
to be an alternative. If they can gas them, surely they can sedate
them and then 'deport' them. And relocating, if done wisely and
with advice from wild life experts could work. It is not beyond
the wit of humans to handle this differently and just for once to
put the needs of animals before financial concerns. The authorities
tell us that the hedgehogs are damaging the balance of nature by
eating the eggs of rare wading birds, but surely it must be possible to solve
this problem with out destroying all the hedgehogs.
I ask the authorities to please, think again. If
humans are capable of this kind of inhumanity to animals it is no
wonder that there are people capable of the same kind of thing towards
other human beings.
To see hedgehog pictures click here
To find out more about hedgehogs
visit the British Hedgehog Preservation Society site at
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