How Do You Stop a Hedgehog Invasion?
Hedgehogs are the UK\u2019s favourite British mammal. They have cute furry faces, a snuffly nose and the ability to gobble up garden slugs. What\u2019s not to like? Answer: quite a lot if you live in the Outer Hebrides. Hedgehogs were introduced to South Uist in the 1970s as garden pest controllers, but are now serious pests in their own right \u2013 munching their way through the eggs and chicks of globally important wading bird populations. This emblem of cuteness is really a killer. So what\u2019s to be done?
That\u2019s the quandary facing this week\u2019s CrowdScience thanks to a question from Juan Carlos in Cuba. He wants to know how different parts of the world are dealing with invasive species \u2013 one of the biggest threats to global biodiversity. Presenter Anand Jagatia heads to the Uists to hear how having an invader that\u2019s loved by millions can cause a whole host of problems. He also discovers how various warring parties eventually came together to solve this very prickly problem.
Also in the programme, Anand travels to South Africa to find out how researchers are coping with invasive trees by introducing another non-native species. While in the Caribbean, we hear how people are dealing with invasive fish by eating them.
Presenter: Anand Jagatia \nProducer: Anna Lacey
(Photo: A European hedgehog. Credit: Getty Images)