Make bonfire night as safe as possible for wildlife with these top tips:
🐸As well as checking for hedgehogs before you light a fire, keep an eye out for toads, frogs and newts too, they might all be seeking shelter in that giant log pile.
🍂Create small piles of logs and leaves to offer shelter away from your fire site.
🔥Try and create your bonfire on the day of lighting, or relocate it on the day, to be certain wildlife is not hiding.
💯Check again. Just before lighting, take one more look and make sure nobody has snuck in at the last moment.
🦔Make sure the fire is fully out before you leave it, otherwise the site could stay hot for days and be a danger to wildlife.
💥Clear up afterwards. Collect dead fireworks and litter as small animals can get trapped inside.
🌳Keep fireworks away from trees and hedges to reduce the impact on birds and animals nesting there.
🐾If you do find animals hibernating in your bonfire, use gloves to relocate them and place them somewhere sheltered, away from wind, rain and frost.
🌎A few minutes extra care could mean a lot for our wildlife species.