Operation Hedgehog Rescue

Well that was another day of drama!

We had a hedgehog out on the lawn yesterday, his face was covered with white blobs. Those white blobs are in fact the bodies of blood gorged ticks. I contacted the British Hedgehog Protection Society this afternoon on twitter to ask for advice.

They got back in touch and told me to try and rescue it. I said this would be hard as I live with a garden that backs onto the woods and I have no idea where the 'hog nests. I would just have to wait until twilight and try and catch him then. It turned out that the hedgehog was quite keen to be rescued, as right on cue he appeared on the lawn.

A hedgehog out in broad daylight is ALWAYS a danger sign. They are nocturnal animals. It wasn't being lethargic and was feeding, so me and Dawn swung into action! Wearing my gardening gloves I managed to pick him up and get him in a high sided box with a towel in the bottom. We then put another old towel over him and put him next to the radiator and turned the heating up to warm him up. I didn't have a hot water bottle, but it was suggested to me later I could have used a pop bottle with some hot water from the tap in it. I went out and bought him some cat food (not fish based), and let him settle down. He soon buried himself into the towels and he fell fast asleep.

A few phone calls later and we found a volunteer at Fauna Rescue Centre in Cardiff to take him in. Hopefully, he will make it, and will be nursed back to life and will be returned here to to be released back into the garden. If that happens, you will of course read about it here.

This continued cold wet weather is a nightmare for hedgehogs. The cannot get warm easily. Just remember if you find one out in your garden in daylight hours, then you can help quite easily.

1. Catch the hog wearing gloves and put it in a towel lined high sided box.
2. Bring it in and warm it up with a hot water bottle in another old towel.
3. Give it some food and water ... NOT milk. Hedgehogs are lactose intolerant!
4. Please ring your local vet, the RSPB or the British Hedgehog Protection Society (01584 890 801) for more advice.

Fingers crossed for my prickly friend that all that is wrong with him is those horrible ticks and a bit of hypothermia, and he will be returned from his adventure in the big city.