A little hedgehog rescue moment

Lafone

Lafone

Well-Known Member
Thought I'd give a shout out to the hedgehog rescue centres doing a good job in the UK this winter. I'd popped out to get a parcel (working from home so was on a call when they threw said parcel across the garden, of course) and there was a hedgehog sat in the centre of the lawn, shaking.

While we do see hedgehogs in the garden at night and near our bird feeders in the evening in the summer, it's never a good sign to see one in the day. Equally I don't want to be snatching up the wildlife and hedgepignapping it at random.

Googled and rang an advice line and they advised it would be in trouble, to box it up and put it in the warm and then take it along to be rescued. Popped it in a box, put it near a radiator where it perked up a bit and ate some cat food. Our vet acts as one of the drop off centres (had no idea they did that before) so took it there in the car. Had to sign a 'surrender' form (who knew I had a hedgehog!) and left it there to be moved to the hedgehog hospital.

I hope it will be ok. The vet nurse did a quick exam and pronounced it uninjured, but thin and cold so looks like the right thing to have done.

I didn't take a single photo which I now slightly kick myself for. Animal photographer has hedgehog in hall and fails to even get out iphone! Still the little beast didn't need to be posing I guess.

Anyway, if you are in the UK and find a hedgehog outside in the day in the cold it's great to know there's somewhere to send them!

Nice to help nature out a bit...who knows if it will be ok but a fighting chance presented!
 
Lafone said:
Thought I'd give a shout out to the hedgehog rescue centres doing a good job in the UK this winter. I'd popped out to get a parcel (working from home so was on a call when they threw said parcel across the garden, of course) and there was a hedgehog sat in the centre of the lawn, shaking.

While we do see hedgehogs in the garden at night and near our bird feeders in the evening in the summer, it's never a good sign to see one in the day. Equally I don't want to be snatching up the wildlife and hedgepignapping it at random.

Googled and rang an advice line and they advised it would be in trouble, to box it up and put it in the warm and then take it along to be rescued. Popped it in a box, put it near a radiator where it perked up a bit and ate some cat food. Our vet acts as one of the drop off centres (had no idea they did that before) so took it there in the car. Had to sign a 'surrender' form (who knew I had a hedgehog!) and left it there to be moved to the hedgehog hospital.

I hope it will be ok. The vet nurse did a quick exam and pronounced it uninjured, but thin and cold so looks like the right thing to have done.

I didn't take a single photo which I now slightly kick myself for. Animal photographer has hedgehog in hall and fails to even get out iphone! Still the little beast didn't need to be posing I guess.

Anyway, if you are in the UK and find a hedgehog outside in the day in the cold it's great to know there's somewhere to send them!

Nice to help nature out a bit...who knows if it will be ok but a fighting chance presented!
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A very good piece of advice, I certainly didn't know about the vets
 
In around July last year, I found three very small young hedgehogs sat in the open in our front garden. They were also dropped off at the local vet, again with a surrender form, and went off to a hedgehog rehabilitator local to us. Just over a month later, the three youngsters had grown considerably and they were able to come back to us to be released.

When we asked what could have happened to them, was surprised to learn that it is not too uncommon for a mother hedgehog to die soon after giving birth, even if the youngsters are healthy (if I recall correctly, it is because of blood clots). The alternative option is that the high temperatures at that time of year simply forced them into the open to try and cool off.
 
DesertRhino150 said:
In around July last year, I found three very small young hedgehogs sat in the open in our front garden. They were also dropped off at the local vet, again with a surrender form, and went off to a hedgehog rehabilitator local to us. Just over a month later, the three youngsters had grown considerably and they were able to come back to us to be released.

When we asked what could have happened to them, was surprised to learn that it is not too uncommon for a mother hedgehog to die soon after giving birth, even if the youngsters are healthy (if I recall correctly, it is because of blood clots). The alternative option is that the high temperatures at that time of year simply forced them into the open to try and cool off.
Click to expand...

Had no idea about that either. Good to know. Glad to hear the three made it!
 
I had an email today that the surrendered hedgehog from my original post has completed a rehab process and has been successfully released. Unexpected (as had heard nothing and assumed they didn't make contact etc) but nice news!

I had been worried we wouldn't have any more, but last night and this evening a hedgehog has emerged from the dense bushes at the back of the garden to rummage around the bird tables and in the dirt next to the hedges as dusk comes in. Glad we have one still around after I boxed up the last one.
 
Just to update managed to snap the visitor, have also recently seen two in the garden at once, which looks like good news for the garden and the local hog population.

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In the latest hedge news we now have three regular hedgehogs in the garden.

At least one of them is resident in the new hedgehog house (I thought I should make more effort to help them along).

Bird food has been switched to calciworms from mealworms (as well as the other food) to offer enough protein if the hogs root around the feeders and hog food and some water complete the offer.

It’s good to think this has become a bit of a stop in their home range (none appear to be youngsters though one is a bit smaller than the others) and each dusk there they all are. There’s the odd head butt going on on the lawn but then they are back to wandering around. And then they are gone again as if they were never there. It’s cool to know we can do a bit for wildlife even in a smaller garden.
 
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