Hedgehogs

October and November is a crucial time for hedgehogs. Hedgehogs have their first litter (up to 7 hoglets) in June and July. These will have time to put on enough weight to survive winter hibernation. The adults will sometimes have a second litter as late as September or October and these hoglets, known as autumn juveniles, are EXTREMELY VULNERABLE as they will struggle to put on enough weight to survive hibernation.

What can we do to help this creature already recognised as endangered species:-

Firstly, if you see a hedgehog in the daytime in October or November it is almost certainly in trouble as hedgehogs normally feed only at night.

1) Put on a pair of gloves and carefully pick it up, it will almost certainly roll up in a ball, and weigh it on your kitchen scales. It needs to weigh at least 500g to survive hibernation. This will not harm the hog.

2) Put it somewhere safe, secure and quiet and offer it food, either dog food or biscuit and water or you may already have some hedgehog food in readiness. If it is quite lively and not too much underweight (say 400g), appears fit and well, you can return it to where you found it but continue to put out food and water out on a daily basis and monitor it. This is a difficult decision but at 400g with food, water and reasonable weather conditions it will stand a chance. If it weighs as little as 300g or less, it definitely needs specialist help from a rescue centre. They can die very quickly if they do not get the right help, so doing nothing is not an option.

Please report healthy or dead hedgehogs on the Hedgehog Street map https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/uk-hedgehog-distribution-map or contact the Clerk for local help finding a rescue centre.