Page 48 • The HERALD • 25th January 2024 v SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SPECIALISTS v ANIMAL MAGIC Caring for your animals when you can’t be there Vanessa Rouse ex-RSPCA Inspector Experienced & Insured 07742 848265 www.purlieuanimalcare.co.uk SIMPLER ROAD SIGNS TO PROTECT SMALL ANIMALS AND BOOST SAFETY Hedgehogs and other small animals will be better protected on English roads under rule changes that were announced in December to make it easier for local authorities to put up wildlife warning signs. e current hedgehog sign will be updated following feedback from the sector to make it clearer for drivers. Alongside this, rules around the small wildlife warning signs will be relaxed to make it easier for local authorities to put up small wildlife warning signs, helping to better protect hedgehogs and other small animals. Changes made by the Department for Transport will ensure local authorities are able to place small wild animal warning signs where they are needed most rather than having to apply to the Department on a case-by-case basis. To mark the change, Transport Secretary Mark Harper visited Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital in Buckinghamshire to meet a host of furry – and spiky – friends, many on the mend from road accidents. Touring the facility, he witnessed a hedgehog undergo surgery for a leg injury, ran a bath for hydrotherapy treatments, helped to weigh animals, and witnessed one hedgehog pose in front of the newlook sign. Transport Secretary, Mark Harper said: “It was an absolute pleasure to see behind the scenes at the famous Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital, where I witnessed the incredible work they do to heal a wide range of wildlife. These common sense changes will lead to more small animal signs across the country, cutting down on bureaucracy to help protect both drivers and small animals, improving safety on our roads and making sure fewer casualties are checked in to wildlife hospitals like these.” e small animal warning sign depicts a hedgehog and was rst introduced in 2019. As well as cutting the restrictive red tape preventing them being placed, the Government has also refreshed the design by adding white quills to the hedgehog’s back. is will improve clarity and make it more visible from a distance for all road users. e changes will also help protect vital crossing routes for hedgehogs and other small mammals, particularly on rural roads. Hedgehog numbers in particular have dropped by 30-75% in rural areas since the millennium, with tra c a major factor in the decline. Colin Stocker, CEO at Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital said: “On behalf of myself and everyone here at Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital we were delighted to welcome Mark Harper to the hospital to hear more about the policy change that will make the process for erecting small mammal road signs easier. A lot of the 14,000 animals admitted to us every year come in due to road traffic accidents and making motorists more aware of their presence and encouraging them to be more cautious is a great step towards helping British wildlife. We were able to show Mark around our hospital and he was able to see some of the patients we currently have in and meet the veterinary team behind the lifesaving work carried out here. We hope this policy change will result in more signage that in turn will remind motorists to be mindful of British wildlife when out and about.” e announcement will help reduce bureaucracy for local authorities, allowing them to focus their resources more e ectively on delivering for their communities and follows recent announcements committing to improving conditions for motorists across the UK under the Plan for Drivers and Network North. e Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital was established by Les and Sue Stoker in 1978 as a refuge for injured animals to receive treatment and rehabilitation. Thank You from Barry’s Farm! In the run up to Christmas we had several donations to the collection pot for Barry’s Farm. £55.23 was transferred across to the farm’s Mole Valley Account just before Christmas, to go towards food and supplies for the animals. If you would like to make a cash donation you can pop into e Herald o ce or to make an online donation please visit: www.gofundme. com/f/barry-the-farmerfrost-lane Pine Marten Population Continues to Expand in the New Forest A er being absent for decades, pine martens are now present across the New Forest and successfully breeding here according to the results of a threeyear study into these rare creatures. Conservationists placed 30 hidden cameras in 11 di erent parts of the New Forest to observe how these protected creatures are returning to the area. Pine martens, a cat-sized member of the weasel family, were once widespread across the UK before habitat loss and persecution le only small and fragmented populations, mostly in northern England, Scotland, and parts of Wales. e study began a er a number of reports of public sightings suggested pine martens may have returned to the New Forest. Led by Forestry England and Wild New Forest, with support from Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, it aims to understand how these rare creatures are settling here and the size of the population. A range of techniques were used to study these nocturnal creatures, including hidden cameras and thermal imaging surveys. By analysing over 1,000 hours of footage, the team have been able to con rm that pine martens are not only present but that they have settled right across the New Forest. e network of ancient woodlands here is providing an ideal habitat for them to nest, breed and establish territories. e veteran trees in these areas provide good nesting sites in cavities and plenty of food is available for this omnivorous mammal. Video clips captured in 2023 clearly show the presence of kits and young pine martens that help to con rm breeding is taking place. e cameras used this year also recorded the presence of other key species of wildlife in the Forest including pole cats, another rare but returning creature. Leanne Sargeant, Senior Ecologist for Forestry England, said: “We are absolutely delighted to confirm that pine martens have returned to the New Forest and can be found in so many areas. The nation’s forests provide such important areas for wildlife to thrive and expand and the New Forest is doing just that for these special creatures. Now we know they are here and breeding, our next step is to try and estimate the size of the population and how they are using the New Forests ancient woodlands.” Over the next few years, the team hope to combine the video with other methods including DNA analysis to assess the size of the population of pine martens in the New Forest. Mostly chestnut brown in colour, each pine marten has a uniquely shaped bib – a pale yellow section of fur on its chin and throat. is can help to identify individuals and, by observing their interactions, the team may also be able to monitor family groups. Marcus Ward from the specialist conservation consultancy, Wild New Forest, said: “Pine Martens are incredibly rare and very difficult to spot, making it difficult to study them. The footage collected by the cameras has given us a really unique view into their hidden world and will really help advance our understanding of these special creatures and how best to support them.” e project will share its ndings with the national pine marten strategy focussing on wider recovery of the species. e survey team are also being supported by the New Forest Badger Group and are keen for other organisations and landowners to get involved in the project. Forestry England is helping to return lost species of wildlife as a key part of nature recovery across the nation’s forests. It is supporting a range of projects to help secure the return of pine martens and monitoring populations in the New Forest, Kielder Forest, Grizedale Forest and in the Forest of Dean, where England’s rst reintroduction of pine martens began in 2019. Pine marten (Credit: Martin Noble) Langley WI’s next meeting is on Tuesday 20th February for Hands On Card Making with Tricia McNally. Followed on Tuesday 19th March for Orchids Wild and Cultivated by Peter Ashbury. e WI o ers women the opportunity to make new friends, learn new skills and campaign on wide-ranging issues. Langley WI meets every third Tuesday at their new venue of Jubilee Hall, Fawley, SO45 1DF at 7.30pm. Email: langleypres@hampshirewi.org. uk or check out their website at: www. hampshirewi.org.uk/wi-page/langleywi Hands On Card Making
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