Hedgehog officer job sparks global interest
A job for a hedgehog officer in Ipswich has received interest from all over the world.
Suffolk Wildlife Trust recently revealed they were looking for a hedgehog officer with an annual salary of £24,000.
See also: Cat adopts orphaned hedgehogs
See also: Hedgehogs to be extinct in 10 years, experts warn
And they have received hundreds of applications from people across the globe, including from Taiwan, Russia, Spain, Portugal and Germany.
The role came about after it emerged that Ipswich was a 'hedgehog hotspot'.
The original news release about the job read: "Suffolk Wildlife Trust is looking to appoint the county's first ever Hedgehog Officer as part of its campaign to make Ipswich the most hedgehog-friendly town in the UK.
"The Trust's Suffolk Hedgehog Survey and a recent Ipswich Wildlife Audit both highlighted Ipswich as a hedgehog hotspot, with remarkably rich, well connected wildlife habitat. However, like any modern townscape, it is fragmented by houses, roads, walls, fences and over-tidy gardens.
"In what is a two year initiative, the new Ipswich Hedgehog Officer will work to give whole communities an understanding of hedgehogs, the reasons behind their dramatic decline and how they can help conserve them.
"A key part of the role will involve mobilising participants in Ipswich to create a street-by-street network of hedgehog accessible habitat and monitor hedgehog activity; following the model of the 'Hedgehog Street' initiative developed by British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) and People's Trust for Endangered Species.
"By inspiring streets of people to act together to create habitat links and remove the barriers to hedgehog movement between gardens, the hedgehog officer will help establish a network of feeding, nesting and hibernating habitat across the town. Making Ipswich the most hedgehog-friendly town in the UK will help secure the species' long-term future in Suffolk, while also having a positive knock-on effect for other wildlife that stand to benefit from improved habitat."
A spokesman for the trust said of the reaction to the job advert: "We thought we would get a good response, but we were overwhelmed by the numbers who responded and the international reach.
"Applications have closed now and we're really excited to go through them, and to start the interview process next week.
"The person we're looking for will have an inspirational, and quite unique mix of skills, which will make the face of hedgehog conservation in Ipswich."
Related video:
