Uist Hedgehog Rescue (UHR) has branded as "outrageous" the spurious claims made by conservation quango, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), that animals' lives will be placed in danger by the rescue bid underway on the islands of Uist and Benbecula during March 2003. 

UHR wildlife experts and veterinarians refute this outrageous propaganda and instead question SNH's judgement in allowing temporary untrained staff to kill the hedgehogs by lethal injection - a procedure which should be undertaken by trained veterinary staff.  UHR is calling on the Scottish SPCA, which is providing consultation to SNH, to investigate this as a matter of urgency.

SNH claims that  "both groups will end up killing hedgehogs.  We are just being up front about it" and that UHR will be "letting them die slowly on the mainland".   SNH has also claimed that UHR has yet to come up with scientific proof that hedgehogs could survive after being moved to an unfamiliar environment.

UHR has dismissed SNH's claims believing them to be a pathetic last ditch attempt to try to justify continuing with its plans to kill the hedgehogs instead of handing them over to the welfare groups to relocate on the mainland.  The rescue coalition claims SNH has based its whole killing policy on a flawed study and false assumptions made from scientific experiments irrelevant to the Uist situation coupled with a clear lack of experience of actually working with hedgehogs.

On the other hand, UHR has a wealth of practical experience of handling and releasing hedgehogs backed up by expert and specialist veterinary and scientific advice.

UHR's scientific adviser, Professor Stephen Harris, Chairman of the Mammal Society, said, "Contrary to SNH's claims, there is a wealth of scientific evidence proving that sick or injured hedgehogs do survive well after being rehabilitated and released.  We would expect healthy hedgehogs to fare even better once released."

Respected independent wildlife expert, Dr Pat Morris, formerly of the Royal Holloway College said, "It is surely better to try and rescue some animals than simply kill them all.  We know that rehabilitated sick animals and inexperienced juveniles can survive translocation, so wild adults in good health should manage too."

UHR veterinary advisor, Andrew Greenwood of the International Zoological Veterinary Group said, "There is no reason why relocating these hedgehogs should cause welfare problems.  It is certainly preferable to SNH's plans to kill them.  I am very concerned to hear about SNH training its temporary staff to lethally inject hedgehogs.  This is actually very difficult to do humanely.  This is the domain of the veterinary profession and there is the potential for this killing to be cruel and cause unacceptable suffering."

The Scottish Parliament Public Petitions Committee backed strong public opinion accusing SNH of being "unreasonable" and urging them to work with UHR to rescue instead of needlessly killing the hedgehogs.

UHR has again written to SNH appealing to it to work with the welfare groups by handing over any hedgehogs it captures.  The animals would then not be killed but instead moved to suitable release sites on the mainland.

UHR's rescue plans are now in place and it has begun collecting and receiving hedgehogs on the Uists.

Uist Hedgehog Rescue (UHR) consists of:   

• Advocates for Animals 

• British Hedgehog Preservation Society 

• Hessilhead Animal Rescue Centre

• International Animal Rescue   

• Mammals Society 

• St Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital.