Please help the young hedgehogs

 

 

 

There are still a lot of young hedgehogs wandering around during the day.  They are looking for food and trying their best to survive.   Please help them by putting out saucers of cat food (chicken flavour is best) and also sunflower seeds, hedgehog food if you can get it.  Milk isn’t good for them unless it’s goat’s milk.  Don’t give cow’s milk because they can’t digest it and it upsets their tummies.

If you are worried about the little hoglets (which is what baby hedgehogs are called) you can bring them in to us.   They need warmth to help them to survive and stay awake.  We have heat pads in our hedgehog nursery and they love them.

If they are left out they will just curl up and go to sleep and not wake up because these they don’t have enough body weight to keep them going over the winter.   These late born hoglets will be from second litters.   The ones born at the normal time in spring will have grown well and be able to hibernate successfully.

The numbers of hedgehogs in the U.K. is in decline – as much as 25% fewer over the last ten years.    They are wonderful native creatures, fascinating and with distinctive personalities and an unusual lifestyle.  They do so much good in the garden too, although they don’t eat slugs unless they are forced to out of hunger.   Perhaps it’s as well since slugs often have poison in them and that’s death to the hedgehog too.   An organic garden or natural woodland is the best place for our little spiky friends.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The hedgehogs here are shown with sanctuary volunteer Katie – thanks for helping us look after them.

If anyone can bring cat pouches in (chicken variety) that would be a great help.   We also need donations for more heat pads and hedgehog houses.  Many thanks.