HEDGEHOGS can hibernate in style this year thanks to the world’s first tiny hedgehog holiday park.
What started as a local initiative at holiday booking provider Parkdean Resorts’ White Cross Bay park, Windermere, has now expanded into a nationwide scheme to protect hedgehogs near to their caravan parks as they go into hibernation.
Holidaying hedgehogs can enjoy many features at the made-to-measure park including four snug caravan homes, decking to enjoy the sunset, double glazing windows to keep the warmth in through winter, a tight-knit community with neighbour hedgehogs and protection courtesy of Parkdean Resorts.
Worryingly hedgehogs were listed as ‘Vulnerable’ to extinction on Britain’s red list of mammals and, according to the latest State of Britain’s hedgehog report, numbers have fallen by up to 30 per cent in urban areas and 50 per cent in rural.
Hibernation can prove to be a particularly dangerous time for hedgehogs, with the risk of being attacked by wild animals, being exposed to the harsh winter elements, and choosing dangerous places like bonfires for their wintery shelter.
The holiday company hopes their tiny holiday park can offer some peace by creating the safe and warm hedgehog haven.
There are many things the public can do to help the hedgehogs’ plight, including creating your own hibernation hog hotel, making ponds safe with a ramp for them to climb out, not using slug pellets and harmful pesticides and creating hedgehog highways to enable hedgehogs safe passage between gardens.
It is also important that before using garden machinery, such as strimmers and lawnmowers to check for sleepy or resting hedgehogs in areas you are planning to cut.
Bonfires should also be double checked for the prickly mammals before being lit.
Catherine Lynn, chief customer officer at Parkdean Resorts, said: "Hedgehog's becoming endangered is a massive blow for UK wildlife and wildlife lovers. We wanted to do something big and bold to grab the nation's attention and encourage everyone to play their part in helping protect them from extinction.
“And what is more eye-catching than a miniature holiday park, designed and built especially for hedgehogs? We hope this world's first will inspire people to support our prickly pals at their most vulnerable time of year."
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