 The study was part-funded by Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital |
Claims that culling island hedgehogs is more humane than moving them to the mainland have been disputed by experts. Hedgehogs taken from the Outer Hebrides did not adversely affect mainland populations, according to a study.
Bristol University scientists said the animals could be relocated successfully after rehabilitation.
Environmental body Scottish Natural Heritage said it was taking the study "quite seriously" and would discuss it at a forthcoming board meeting.
The culling programme is run in the Uists by SNH, RSPB Scotland and the Scottish Executive to combat the threat posed by hedgehogs to rare wading birds and their eggs.
Previous research suggested that moving the creatures to the mainland could have a damaging effect on them, but this is disputed by the eight-strong team of Bristol scientists, who monitored 109 hedgehogs for the study.
The study, funded by Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), used radio monitoring to compare the survival of hedgehogs taken from the Uists with those released from wildlife hospitals and other wild hedgehogs nearby.
The survival of the Uist hedgehogs proved to be very similar to the resident hedgehogs with the new animals quickly integrating into the population.
Fresh data
Professor Stephen Harris, who co-ordinated the study, said: "This has been an area of disagreement between welfare groups and SNH for some time and SNH said they would like to see some fresh data.
"They have said they will look at it and we are hopeful this means an end to culling and we can move forward."
Les Stocker, of Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital, said the study had confirmed what anti-cull campaigners had long argued.
"Hedgehogs are ideal candidates for translocation and if released at carefully selected sites do extremely well," he said.
"It is a crying shame that Scottish Natural Heritage has needlessly killed 535 hedgehogs over the last three years."
'New science'
An SNH spokesman said: "We have seen the report and we are taking it quite seriously. We are always open to new science on this matter.
"The project has drawn on previous research which has highlighted serious welfare issues for translocated hedgehogs."
A paper on the study will be published in the journal Biological Conservation.
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Hedgehogs are ideal candidates for translocation and if released at carefully selected sites do extremely well
