Network Rail Scotland has put hedgehog-friendly solutions in place at Lanark station to allow the little creatures to move freely in and around railway property.
image: By Gibe, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29948
…… simple action of making a suitable hole in the fencing has helped the hedgehogs move safely…
Scottish Construction Now writes:
Hedgehog sized holes at regular intervals have been cut along the bottom of boundary fencing to create ‘Hedgehog Highways’ which allow the animals to move freely back-and-forth and escape should they become trapped.
Railway embankments are a hedgehog haven, with a rich mix of trees and vegetation which provide a safe and food-rich area for hedgehogs to forage and feed.
A concerned local resident contacted Network Rail earlier in the year after noticing that hedgehogs were becoming trapped under a boundary fence at Lanark station….
The simple action of making a suitable hole in the fencing has helped the hedgehogs move safely between their foraging habitats and their nests.
To raise awareness of the plight of the little creatures, the Hedgehog Highway has been marked with some hedgehog shaped signs and an information board has been installed to highlight the reasons behind the work and raise the profile of hedgehogs in general.
Following this successful trial, Network Rail intends to add a small hedgehog friendly hole at the base of each back garden fence renewal carried out….
Ashleigh Wylie, Network Rail Scotland ecologist, commented: “We really appreciate members of the public taking the time to bring things to our attention….
The initiative has been supported by HogWatch Scotland whic monitors hedgehog numbers, raise awareness and provide courses to educate and raise awareness in schools and across communities of the plight of the little creatures.
