Funding Secured to Remove Invasive Hedgehogs from Benbecula

A conservation initiative, Saving Uist Nature, has received £97,840 from the Scottish Government's Nature Restoration Fund to remove hedgehogs from Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides. Hedgehogs, introduced over 50 years ago to control garden pests, have become a significant threat to ground-nesting birds, leading to severe declines in species such as the Dunlin and Common Ringed Plover. The project aims to humanely capture and relocate the hedgehogs to the Scottish mainland, with plans to extend efforts to South Uist if successful. RSPB Scotland and NatureScot stress the urgency of this project due to evidence of the damaging impact of invasive species on local wildlife. The initiative is seen as a groundbreaking approach to conservation, aiming to protect both the relocated hedgehogs and the native bird populations. Conservationists emphasize the need for careful monitoring to ensure the relocated hedgehogs do not negatively affect mainland populations.