"Face masks could kill hundreds of hedgehogs" say Pateley Bridge charity

A Pateley Bridge hedgehog rescue charity has warned hundreds of the little creatures could be seriously injured if they become entangled in face masks.

HAPPY Hedgehogs, which was previously based in Ripon, regularly treat animals which have gotten stuck in other plastics, but staff fear more could become hurt as more people wear face masks.

Some supermarkets have made it mandatory for people to wear facemasks, which could lead to more be discarded on the streets.

Jacqui Morrell, founder of HAPPY Hedgehogs, says it's only going to get worse as we approach hedgehog season.

She said: "People are become more blasé and aren't disposing of the masks properly. As we move into the spring and summer months we're going to see more and more hedgehogs getting stuck in the masks with the elastics wrapped around their little bodies.

"The babies are coming out and about around that time and it's going to be extremely detrimental to the population. If we're not careful we might not even have hedgehogs in the next ten to fifteen years.

"Babies are being born and because they're so small and grow so quickly, if they get caught in a mask, it'll cut into their skin and the skin will grow over the mask and that's when they'll need surgery. In some cases surgery won't help and those creatures won't survive or will need putting down."

Hedgehogs are continuing to decline in the UK, with reports suggesting hedgehog numbers have fallen by about 50% since the turn of the century.

Conservation groups say they are particularly concerned about the plight of the prickly creatures in rural areas.

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