Big Bang Theory?
have you any answers to the pain our furry friends suffer?
Fireworks and bonfires are erupting around the place and I am feeling so frustrated.
As I wrote in the last update - bonfires can be a menace for hedgehogs and I so hope that you all have done what you can to help by following the Stop, Move, Check, guidance. This is an annual November plea, but obviously holds good for the rest of the year too!
My wife runs a brilliant, and subsidised, film course in Oxford - part of it involves making a film … and occasionally I get roped into the process … here are versions one and two that her students made …
For years I have been talking about bonfires, but because I was ignorant, I had not talked about fireworks … not until five years ago.
What happened back then? Ogli came into our lives. He was eight when he came over from Romania, a timid sort of collie/heinz 57 varieties sort of chap. It has taken a few years to get him to relax, but now he is a regular part of the Florence Park pack - even if he does, now aged 13, tend to avoid anything that might involve dramatic movement.
What has not changed, though, is his fear of fireworks and thunder.
When you form an attachment to someone, and you see them trembling in terror, trying to get under things that are far too small, it hurts. We put on the radio, or tv, we make a bed for him in the bathroom (he hates this room … usually only goes there when he has rolled in poo (ok, he is not perfect!) but the room is in the centre of our terrace, no windows and furthest from the noise).
I know some people have tried drugs (for the dog that is) but we received advice that it can leave them stressed but just not showing us how stressed … so we sit with him and try and comfort him and just wish the noise would stop.
A friend posted on Facebook about how she had to spend the night up with neighbours horses who were being terrified by the random bangs.
It is not just domestic animals … think of the wildlife - think of the hedgehogs. I have been sent videos of a hedgehog flinching with every bang. Radio-tracking studies in Berlin have shown that when a large festival moves into a park, the hedgehogs simply stop feeding … Our wildlife is already on an energetic knife-edge … they need to feed to be active to feed … and taking out a night or three risks pushing them closer to the edge of disaster.
Now - if there was to be one night when the fireworks happened, we could just batten down the hatches and do our best. But it is this constant stream of explosions that happen over many weeks are hard to cope with. Please, please, think before letting off fireworks. Thank you.
In other news - because it has been a busy time -
I did a bit of filming for the Shepreth Wildlife Conservation Charity - where I am a patron - outlining (again!) the risks of bonfires - there will be more coming … we had so much fun avoiding loud children, or macaws, as I ranted on about hedgehogs … the hedgehog hospital they have there is superb …
I spent a very jolly Saturday night in Thame - doing best part of 90 min of hedgehog comedy! Very silly, and in places, very rude … all part of a Thame Hedgehog Day which was, by all accounts, utterly brilliant. So good, in fact, that we have started lobbying to have the town renamed as ‘Hedgehog’!!
The night before that I did a Biodiversity Network seminar at the University in Oxford … I love how different my talks have to be!
And finally … who still uses a real physical calendar? Well, for those that do I can recommend the very best out there for you - as it is … unsurprisingly, full of hedgehogs! Pop along to the BHPS shop and treat yourself (and your friends … easy present choice made for you!)
Good luck to all who suffer in the next few days as the less thoughtful terrify our dearly beloved friends … I was hoping to come up with some brilliant answer to this, but have failed … so - I leave it to you, please share your thoughts on the Big Bang Theory … how can we limit its damage?
The only way to minimise the harm, if we can't get fureworks banned, is to campaign for only organised displays and banning bangers. They seem to be louder than ever this year!
In my personal opinion, fireworks should be either: 1. All completely banned and swapped for alternatives such as laser light shows and drones or 2. All private fireworks are banned (only certified and legal public displays are allowed) and all public display fireworks are 'silent' fireworks only (okay, 'silent' fireworks aren't unfortunately completely silent but they are a lot quieter and better than the ones used now. Italy now uses 'silent' fireworks so what excuse has the UK got not to?!).
Fireworks are deeply distressing for so many (domestic animals (cats, dogs, rabbits, horses etc), wild animals, farm animals, the elderly, people with sensory issues (such as autism) and PTSD etc), are bad for the environment (the smoke and littering) and can easily be life threatening (I heard about a blind lady and guide dog who had fireworks thrown at them and the lady who died when her house burnt down after fireworks were shoved through the letterbox) yet they are COMPLETELY UNECCESSARY!
I am very sorry to hear what your poor dog goes through Hugh (reminds me of what our dog used to go through). I had daftly hoped that our resident hedgehog's hearing wasn't great so she/he would be spared this but it sounds as though this is just as nightmarish for hedgehogs too.