The greatest human threat to hedgehogs is road traffic and loss of habitat and with Malta having the highest number of vehicles per capita in the world, these shy, small mammals need all the protection and help they can get.
Thankfully, Nature Trust and the Wildlife Rescue team Malta do a stellar job in rescuing and rehabilitating the hedgehog population on the island that has a near threatened status and has been protected through environmental legislation since 1993.
Melita Limited has joined forces with these organisations and during this year’s Sustainability Week succeeded in adopting 15 hedgehogs, whose numerous prickly spikes — known as quills — offer no protection against cars driving along roads that cross through their habitat.
An adoption helps provide these organisations with the necessary supplies to rehabilitate and hopefully release these creatures into the wild once they have regained their strength.
The species in Malta is the Algerian hedgehog, which has a light coloured face and a distinct lack of spines on the crown of its head. Its ears are highly visible and are relatively large in size, while its underbelly varies in colour and is often either brown or white.
It is not just hedgehogs that Melita employees helped with during sustainability week, they also gave a helping hand to Dar tal-Providenza with maintenance works and daily tasks; set up bins in each department to collect BCRS scheme beverage containers and donated them to Dar Merħba Bik; and in collaboration with MOVE, raised money to plant close to 60 trees to help us all breathe a little better.
