A wildlife enthusiast from Portlethen has put up signs to get drivers to slow down on the Old Stonehaven Road to protect hedgehogs.
Keith Webster, who by night is a taxi driver, says hedgehogs are being killed every week on the road because drivers are not aware the animals are there until too late.
After one of the mammals that had lived in his garden was killed on the road – he has erected warning signs to tell drivers of the dangers.
Mr Webster who lives in Marywell Park said he has four hedgehogs that regularly came to his garden.
Putting up signs in Portlethen
He even built a safe feeding station and a house for the animals.
One of the hedgehogs then moved into the house. Sadly it was that animal that was run over in the last few days.
He said: “We are trying to make people aware of hedgehogs in the area by putting out some signs along the main road.
“We went to B&Q and bought stakes to put the posts into the ground. There are just too many hedgehogs dying.”
Mr Webster said there had been a marked increase in road deaths since the lockdown ended.
He said: “During lockdown there were not as many cars on the road. We had four hedgehogs that have been in the garden.
“We just want them to slow down on the road. It is gut wrenching when I see another one has been killed with their guts splattered across the road.
“I have been thinking of making a paper mache hedgehog to show people what it looks like and putting them at the side of the road to stop the speeding.
“Hedgehogs are incredible to watch playing about. My wife, Susan, and I named the one in our garden and we even joked that two of them were getting romantically involved.
Security cameras capture hedgehogs in garden
“We made a feeding station out of plastic boxes and we made a nesting box for them to sleep in.
“One of the bigger hedgehogs made his home in the box. We had security measures in place – two bricks at the entrance – so no predators could get to them in the night time.
“I have also fitted cameras in the garden, so when I am out in the taxi I could keep an eye on them, and even the passengers enjoyed watching them.”
Since the hedgehogs moved into his garden, Mr Webster has found out they are very territorial, and they are on the red list of endangered species.
He added: “People have taken away hedges and built fences and walls, that means the hedgehogs natural habitat has disappeared.”
“The big one that was run over would quite often have a fight with another one of the hedgehogs that came into the garden. He would decide who was getting in.
“Now that he is gone we have a small hoglet who is very territorial, he has been fighting with other ones.
“He is only the size of a small guinea pig, as well. But he was running about all over the place to protect his territory. They are great to watch.”
Mr Webster said that as well as the hedgehogs he has a fox that comes into the garden as well.
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