We’re urging everyone to #RememberHedgehogs this autumn with our simple three-point plan to help prevent bonfires from harming vulnerable wildlife.

1. Stop – do you need to have a bonfire? Can you attend a community event, or mark the occasion in a more wildlife-friendly way? The fewer bonfires there are, the fewer wildlife casualties there will be.

2. Move – if you do decide to have a bonfire, only build it on the day you plan to light it. Move all collected materials to a new, clear site just before burning, in case hedgehogs, other wildlife or pets have decided to hide inside.

3. Check – before lighting from one side only, check the entire bonfire pile carefully for wildlife and pets. Shine a torch inside the pile and gently lift each section with a pole or broom as you look. Never use a spade or fork, as these can cause great harm. Also listen for the huffing sound of a hedgehog which has been disturbed.

Fay Vass, Chief Executive of BHPS, said: “As bonfire season approaches and people begin clearing their gardens, we’re asking them to #RememberHedgehogs and help keep garden wildlife safe from harm.

“A bonfire pile looks like a readymade home to a hedgehog seeking a safe winter nest to hibernate in – they have no idea of the danger they’re in.

“So take a moment to follow these steps – it can really help save the lives of hedgehogs, other wildlife and pets.”

Fay added: “After a summer where extreme weather has highlighted the damage and devastation wildfires can cause, we hope more people than ever will avoid having their own bonfires this year – but for those who do, following these steps will help give hedgehogs the best possible chance of escaping unharmed.”

If you do find a hedgehog in an unlit bonfire heap:

• Gather it up with its nest and place it in a high-sided box with plenty of torn newspaper, towelling or straw. Ensure the lid has air holes and is firmly secured – hedgehogs are great climbers!
• Use gardening gloves or a folded towel to handle them – those spikes are sharp!
• Put the box somewhere safe and quiet, such as a shed or garage, well away from the festivities, and offer the hedgehog some meaty cat or dog food or cat biscuits and water.
• Once the embers are totally dampened down that night, release the hedgehog under a hedge, bush or log-pile near where it was found, with its original nesting materials and some more food and water.