Redaccion
The suspicions of a naturalist who frequents the park of Prado Ovejero de Móstoles and the adjacent one of Fuente Cisneros in Alcorcón have been confirmed.
Groups of people taking advantage of the night have hunted several specimens of hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus), a protected species.
Ecologistas en Acción has reported these events due to the presence of poachers looking for hedgehogs in these areas, as they explain. Hedgehogs are most active at night between the months of March and September.
Illegal hunting of hedgehogs in the Community of Madrid: 5 arrested in Torrejón de Velasco
«For some years now, and under the cover of darkness, groups of 3 to 5 poachers hunt hedgehogs in their habitats. They are accompanied by hunting dogs of bracco and bretón breeds, trained for this purpose,» the environmental organization states.
This illegal activity, they affirm, is not only happening in Móstoles, but has also been reported in Coslada or Torrejón de Velasco. They recall that in previous occasions, law enforcement agencies have arrested and brought to justice individuals caught engaging in this form of hunting.
Hedgehog rescued while crossing a road in Alcorcón
The common hedgehog, as highlighted by Ecologistas, is a species under special protection under the Bern Convention ratified by Spain in 1986, due to its role as a beneficial insectivorous animal for fields and mountains, whose survival could be threatened if special precautions are not taken.
