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BURNTISLAND HEDGEHOG HAVEN

🏆 MULTI AWARD WINNING RESCUE 🏆

FOUND A HEDGEHOG?

HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

Hedgehogs are charming creatures that often wander into our gardens and lives. While they’re mostly self-sufficient, there are times when they might need a little human help. Whether you’ve stumbled upon a hedgehog during your evening walk or found one nestled in your garden, it’s important to know what to do. Here’s our comprehensive guide to help you assist these spiky friends safely and effectively.

A HEDGEHOG OUT IN THE DAY IS NOT OK!

  • Hedgehogs are nocturnal so they do not usually come out in the day.
  • The main reason for coming out in the day is to find heat as they are cold and likely suffering from the beginnings of hypothermia.
  • This is why they lay in the sun.
  • Please don’t ignore them as they need URGENT help.
  • The only exception to this will be a nesting/nursing female. A nesting mum may pop out of the nest during the day to find food or nesting materials but she will be moving quickly with purpose ie. knowing exactly where she is going and she may have nesting materials in her mouth.
  • It is still worth checking with a rescue just to make sure the hedgehog isn’t in need.
  • Using gloves or a towel, carefully pick up the hedgehog and put the hedgehog in a high sided box (they are good climbers) and put a towel /blanket for the hedgehog to sit on and another one to hide under.
  • It is important you secure the hedgehog straight away as they can be gone by the time you come back to them. If possible bring the hedgehog into a quiet area in the house.
  • Please DO NOT feed the hedgehog, just offer a bowl of water.
  • DO NOT try to syringe water into the hedgehog as this needs to be done by a trained person as the water can go in their lungs if not done correctly.
  • Phone a rescue.
  • Please do not wait or put the box in a shed while you take the dog out.
  • The hedgehog needs URGENT attention.
  • Please follow the above advice on how to secure the hedgehog.
  • The hedgehog will need checking over at a rescue.
  • Your dogs teeth may have punctured the skin of the hedgehog and without treatment these wounds will become infected.
  • Please ALWAYS get the hedgehog checked.
  • These wounds are not always easy to see.
  • Please DO NOT touch the hoglets.
  • Cover the nest back over and watch to see if mum returns.
  • Ring a rescue if you are worried.
  • If you have touched any of the hoglets mum is likely to reject them or kill them due to your scent.
  • Please ring a rescue immediately for advice.
  • We have a lot of hedgehogs admitted into the rescue who have become entangled in garden netting, goal post netting or fallen down drains or uncovered holes.
  • Please DO NOT just release the hedgehog without getting it checked at a rescue.
  • If you can free the hedgehog as much as possible from the netting and then using gloves or a towel place the hedgehog into a high sided box with a towel/blanket on the bottom and a towel/blanket for the hedgehog to hide in and contact a rescue.
  • Hedgehogs can suffer post restrictive injuries so they need monitoring after being trapped so please don’t just free and release them.
  • As we don’t always know how long the hedgehog has been trapped for, it is important it is checked over at a rescue for injuries and dehydration.
  • Please secure the hedgehog (using gloves or a towel) in a high sided box with a towel/blanket to lay on and one to hide in and call a rescue.
  • Please do not wait as the hedgehog could have painful injuries that cannot be seen.
  • If the hedgehog has been down a drain it could be wet and cold.
  • Please add to the box a covered hot water bottle or an empty drinks bottle filled with hot water from the tap so that the hedgehog can get warm.
  • It is important the hedgehog can move away from the heat if it needs to.