Charlie Simper

Unlike most mammals, hedgehogs don't have the Flight or Fight Response to danger. So no matter how frightened they are, they don't bite, and they don't run away. Their response to danger is to curl up into a protective ball and wait until the danger passes. That's why so many get run over by an approaching car. That's why so many are maimed and killed by an approaching strimmer. And that's why so many get burned alive in a bonfire. ❌Poking a stick under the bonfire pile will just make the hedgehog inside curl tighter. ❌Lighting it from one side will just make the hedgehog inside curl tighter. ❌Shining a light under the bonfire will just make the hedgehog inside curl tighter. As the smoke fills her lungs, she'll just curl up tighter, hoping it will stop. As her coat starts to singe she’ll just curl up tighter, hoping the danger will soon pass her by. 🛑⚠️The only way to make a bonfire safe is to build it the same day you light it.⚠️🛑 A ready-built bonfire is a five star hotel to a hedgehog, and one passing will absolutely move in. So if it's already built, you need to move it. If you are starting to build it in advance then you MUST enclose the area with a hedgehog-proof fence, to ensure no hogs enter. If you're having a bonfire party tonight, please make sure it's only the rockets that scream.