Covid -19 has affected us here at Jen’s Hedgehog Rescue. We now have Covid-19 restrictions, but we will always give advice and recommendations of alternative rescues if necessary.
Here are some pointers where we can all help our spikey friends:
Hedgehogs do not sunbathe. They will come out and lie in the sun when they are suffering from hypothermia. Mother hedgehogs can often be seen out in the day, but they will look alert and purposeful. Leave them be.
Water! Water is most important. Please put a dish out in dry weather as dehydration can be a huge problem for hedgehogs. A shallow dish is best in case there are babies so they do not drown.
Even though these little hogs love nothing but snuffl ing around, foraging for grubs, their natural food source has greatly reduced in recent years, due to our impact on the environment. You can offer dry cat biscuits, small kibble dog biscuits or smashed up biscuits, tinned dog food (no fi sh or gravy) or hedgehog specifi c foods. No fi sh fl avours, please, as hedgehogs can’t process fi sh protein. Avoid giving bread, milk and mealworms as these can be detrimental to the hogs’ health. Make your garden hedgehog friendly by putting holes in fences and or tunnels for them to be able to roam. Have a wildlife patch with log piles, overgrown grasses, plants that attract their natural food source, wildlife ponds (with access allowing the hedgehogs to climb out) or bury a hedgehog house in the undergrowth, hidden away out of sight.
Please also check your lawns before cutting the grass or strimming, as this can cause terrible injuries to hedgehogs.
Any hoglet or sick hedgehog out in the day should be placed onto a heat source - even in warm weather - for example a hot water bottle. In hoglet season, if a nest is disturbed, Mum should be scooped separately and fi rst into a box on her own as she could eat her hoglets due to stress. Contact a rescue for advice.
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