'An unlit bonfire to a hedgehog is a five-star hotel'

A wildlife charity has urged people to check for hedgehogs before lighting bonfires.

Cath Novis, trustee of Holderness Hedgehog Hospital, which is based in Burton Pidsea in East Yorkshire, said the structures - crammed with leaves and twigs - are mistaken for ideal nesting spots.

She said: "A bonfire to a hedgehog is a five-star hotel. It's like moving into the Hilton for them. There's all the creepy crawlies in there as well so they've got a McDonald's on tap.

"We do sometimes get the fire brigade contacting us to say that they've been called out because a hedgehog has been caught in a fire."

Lucy Felgate-Baumberg, owner of Lucky Hedgehog Rescue, also in East Yorkshire, advised people to build bonfires on the day of lighting, which she said reduces risk.

She said hedgehogs do not tend to run from danger when a fire is lit. Instead, they often curl up into a ball, she said.

"Hedgehogs are nocturnal, so they will have moved in overnight," said Felgate-Baumberg. "This is why we say build your fire in the position you want to burn it on the day of burning so that there's no time for anything to crawl in and nest in there."

In a social media post, Wild Things Rescue, a registered wildlife rehabilitation charity based in Langrick, Lincolnshire, described Bonfire Night as "typically a day of anxiety" for those who treat the creatures.

"We are preparing for an influx of animals who have been burnt by the fires," it stated.

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