Those hedgehogs which need our help and those which should be left alone
HEDGEHOGS WHICH SHOULD BE LEFT IN THE WILD:
Misguided people sometimes “rescue” a healthy hedgehog in the road at night and put it in their (enclosed) garden to eat slugs and other pests. This is very cruel because hedgehogs wander long distances every night, especially in the breeding season, and they know their own home area very well. So if you find an uninjured hedgehog at night in the road, please move it out of harm’s way nearby, but not more than a few hundred metres from where you found it.
During long summer days when the hours of darkness are short, mother hedgehogs often wander away from their nests to forage, well meaning people pick them up, thinking they must be ill, when there is nothing wrong with them and it is obviously imperative that they be returned to the place where they were found as soon as possible, so that their babies do not die from cold, hunger or predation.
At other times, hedgehogs whose nests have been disturbed may be seen walking purposefully to another nest site during the day, these also should be left to go on their way.
HEDGEHOGS WHICH MAY NEED HELP:
1. Hedgehogs lying out in daylight Hedgehogs are nocturnal, so if they are lying out of their nests during the day, that is a sure sign that something is wrong. A healthy hedgehog does not “sunbathe” on the lawn. Please phone for advice, even if you cannot see an injury. Because they roll up if they are frightened, it is often very difficult to see if they
are hurt. If they are injured we take them to the vet to be examined under anaesthetic. The spines on a dehydrated hedgehog will lie flat against its back and not stand up at all angles as they do on a healthy hog.
2. Baby hedgehogs:
Baby hedgehogs (hoglets) can be born from May until the end of October in Jersey and they sometimes lose their way at night when learning to forage with mother, if you find one lying in full view in daytime, the flies will also find it and lay their eggs on it, which will hatch into maggots and the hedgehog will die if you do not rescue it.
3.Autumn juveniles:
After the end of November any young hedgehog which has not reached a safe weight for hibernation (450g) may not survive the winter in the wild. If they are found and brought to us, we care for them until they weigh 600g when we release them in mild weather or wait until Spring if they decide to hibernate in care.
If you find a small hog after dark in winter, please contact us for advice and help as these autumn juveniles often suffer from lots of worms and may not survive without medication and experienced care. Please phone us on 734340 or if you do not live in Jersey, please contact your vet or nearest hedgehog carer. The British Hedgehog Preservation Society has a list of UK carers on their website: http://britishhedgehogs.org.uk/carers.htm
4.Nest disturbance:
If you disturb a nest of very young hoglets, please seek advice as soon as possible, circumstances vary and we do not want to remove babies when the mother is hiding nearby and likely to return to the nest. If the nest site has to be destroyed e.g. when a shed is demolished and the nest was underneath, please do all you can to keep the mother with the babies without touching them with your bare hands. Put a large box or bucket over the entire nest and phone for help. If you touch the babies the mother may reject them. However, if you find a solitary hoglet and cannot find the nest to return it to, please do rescue it, keep it warm and phone 01534 734340 (or your local carer or vet if you don't live in Jersey) for help urgently, do not feed it cow’s milk, we have special milk replacer to feed it. Hedgehogs cannot digest the lactose or milk sugar in cow’s milk and it can kill young hoglets by giving them diarrhoea.
HOW TO RESCUE A HEDGEHOG:
Please wear gloves or use an old towel to protect yourself from their spines and any infection or parasites they may have. Pick it up and put it in a deep box with some ripped up newspaper or hay to hide under. Offer it some water to drink and some dog or cat food to eat, do not give it cow’s milk, as they cannot digest the lactose and may get a tummy upset if they drink it. Please cover the box to prevent escape and keep it inside away from flies and if the weather is cold, in a warm room, until help arrives. Phone 01534 734340 for help or advice.
Any hedgehog found out in daylight at anytime of year whatever its size will be in need of immediate help, so please phone us at once on 734340 if you live in Jersey or contact your nearest carer if you live elsewhere. A list of UK carers is to be found on the BHPS website carers page: http://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/carers.htm
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