Gardeners urged to look before they lop
The RSPCA is warning gardeners to tread carefully this bank holiday to avoid disturbing or harming the wildlife which may be living in their gardens.
Every year we receive calls about wild animals with distressing and often fatal gardening related injuries which in most cases are completely avoidable, and with gardeners likely to make the most of the long weekend we are urging caution.
Quick checks for wild animals and their nests in the long grass or foliage could be all that is needed to prevent young animals from being abandoned and save others from losing a limb – or life.
Cases in past years include a toad with its hind legs chopped off by a strimmer, a hedgehog burnt in pampas grass clearance, a blackbird speared by a garden fork and a toad stuck in a watering can.
Senior wildlife scientific officer at the RSPCA, Adam Grogan said: “Unfortunately these casualties are not unusual at this time of year. Every year we see cases like this – some of them pretty distressing.
“Hedgehogs are one of the most affected as they curl up into a ball when they sense danger and can be hard to spot in the grass. We also get frogs, toads and snakes with horrendous injuries caused by strimmers.
“Overgrown hedges are often nesting sites for birds so it is worth checking to see if there are any nests before cutting them back.
“May bank holiday weekend normally encourages some very enthusiastic gardeners to get out and sort out their back yards.
“But however eager people feel, we urge a little bit of caution. Taking two minutes to check for wildlife before strimming, mowing or cutting could save an animal’s life or prevent its nest from being destroyed. You never know what might be hiding away in the undergrowth.”
Ways to avoid such injuries include:
? avoiding cutting hedges whist birds are nesting
? checking for birds or their nests before clearing scrub
? thinking about if you need to cut brambles or trees, or if it can wait
? keeping drains and swimming pools covered
? removing sports and garden netting and storing it in a safe place when not in use
It is also worth keeping some areas of the garden wild and untidy as many animals rely on leaf piles, compost heaps and even weeds for nesting and food. Frogs and toads like overgrown ponds and tidying them now could disturb their eggs or newly hatched tadpoles.
Notes to editors
? — For more information on how to protect the wildlife in your garden please visit www.rspca.org.uk
RSPCA, Wilberforce Way, Southwater, Horsham, West Sussex RH13 9RS
Press office direct lines: 0300 123 0244/0288 Fax: 0303 123 0099
Duty press officer (evenings and weekends) Tel 07825 158490
Email: press@rspca.org.uk Website: www.rspca.org.uk
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