It has become apparent in the last month or so that we can no longer cope with the number of hedgehogs in need of care in our area.
I desperately needed to find a solution to this problem.
Part of the problem we have is that in the shed there were six hedgehogs four are well recovered from problems they arrived with and two are hibernating. Due to the time of year(December) we can’t release any hedgehogs as there is no food about for them and it would be very difficult for any hedgehog to find materials to build a substantial nest to hibernate in.
It is our policy not to release any hedgehogs after the first hard frost, any patients still here at this point will need to stay until the Spring, and this is also the policy that
St Tiggywinkles and The British Hedgehog PreservationSociety work to.
Due to being unable to release any hedgehogs and with new patients still arriving all the space we have soon filled up.
I decided that one possible solution would be to find volunteers to help by over wintering the well hedgehogs in their sheds,garages, conservatories and out buildings. The idea was that we would buy the hutches and supply the food but the volunteers would do the rest.
Today (31/12/08) saw the arrival of two hutches for the first volunteers and Jess and Delilah have just been picked up by Olwen and Mandy who have been kind enough to take them in for the rest of the winter.
This has freed up two hutches in the shed for any new arrivals, although late in the year Alison took in a 300g hog just two days ago!
Two other hogs in the shed will likely be off to fosters in the next few weeks.
If anyone is interested in fostering hedgehogs now or in the future please use the Contact Us page to get in touch.
Pippin
Delilah
Both the hedgehogs pictured above are now with fosters for the rest of the winter.
