Information

What to do if you find a hedgehog that may need rescuing.

A hedgehog seen out and about during daylight hours is in trouble and needs help.  If you have found a hedgehog that you
think may need rescuing, pick him up and pop him into a high sided box and bring him indoors.  Fill a hot water bottle with warm water and wrap it in a towel.  Place it underneath the hedgehog and cover him with another towel. Leave the box somewhere quiet away from children and pets and then ring your local Rescue Centre for advice. Be aware that any handling or noise will cause the hedgehog a great deal of stress. 

Do not give the hedgehog anything to eat until you have sought advice, as this may interfere with any treatment it may need.  Offer only water, and NEVER give a hedgehog milk as it is very bad for them.

Advice on orphans.

If you should accidentally disturb a nest with baby hedgehogs in it, carefully replace the nesting material with a stick so as not to leave your scent on it. Watch from a distance to see if the mother returns. When a nest has been disturbed the mother will sometimes kill her babies, abandon them altogether or sometimes she will move them to another nest site.

If you think the babies have indeed been abandoned or if they are in immediate danger, please ring your local Rescue Centre for advice. In the meantime leave the babies somewhere warm and quiet.

How to encourage hedgehogs into your garden.

You can help hedgehogs by letting a small corner of your garden grow wild and undisturbed.  A log pile, a compost heap and piles of leaves are all ideal places for a hedgehog to nest.  Regularly leave out a dish of chicken based cat food and a dish of water and in return he will happily eat all the insects in your garden.

This baby hedgehog (called a hoglet) is less than one hour old.  The little white spines are encased within a water sac which disperses soon after birth.  He now has an even coat of white prickles which begin to push through the skin.

Every day hazards that hedgehogs face and how to prevent them from happening

Most injuries we accidentally inflict on hedgehogs could be avoided if we took more care, for example with the following:

■ When mowing long grass and when using a strimmer.  These can cause horrific injuries.

■ A compost heap makes an ideal nesting place.  Take care when using a garden fork.

■ Keep all garden netting at least 30cm off the ground to avoid a hedgehog becoming entangled in it.

■ Try environmentally friendly alternatives to slug pellets.  They kill hedgehogs and other wildlife.

■ Hedgehogs encounter serious problems if they get stuck in tin cans, plastic yoghurt pots or plastic can holders.

■ Keep all drains, trenches and post holes covered at night.

■ Keep containers of oil, paint and chemicals stored in a shed or garage out of reach of hedgehogs.

■ Check underneath a shed before you dismantle it.

■ Re-site your bonfire before it is lit.

■ Make sure your garden pond has an escape route (shallow end) or a ramp.

■ Motorists please keep your speed down when on country roads and give wildlife a chance.

The injuries inflicted by strimmers on hedgehogs in particular are horrific. Most casualties do not survive and those that do suffer a great deal and are disabled for life. These injuries were caused by a careless gardener using a strimmer.  Sadly, this hedgehog did not recover.
This is the result of a strimmer injury inflicted on a hedgehog who was pregnant at the time.  Her injuries were so severe she did not survive, and neither did the three babies that she aborted. It only takes a few seconds to check long grass first before strimming.  It might save a life – or in this particularly sad case, it would have saved four.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Lancashire Hedgehog Care Trust
9 Alisan Rd, Poulton-Le-Fylde, Lancashire. FY6 7QF

Careline available daily: 10am - 8pm
Telephone Number: (01253) 899404

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