Hedgehog. Photo, Tom Marshall
Help your local hedgehogs
How can you make your patch hedgehog friendly?
Hedgehogs are struggling. Their numbers have fallen below one million in the UK – down by 30% in just over ten years. Read on to learn how you can help hedgehogs in your local area. Together we can make Devon the most hedgehog friendly county!
We can make big differences in our gardens through doing simple things. There are 15 million gardens in the UK, covering about 270,000 hectares – more than the area of all the National Nature Reserves. Together they can make a crucial difference to hedgehogs. Download our free 'Get creative for hedgehogs' booklet below for information and inspiration of what you can do to help hedgehogs!
Should I try to help a hedgehog?
Hedgehogs usually hibernate between November to mid-March, but they can sometimes be seen out and about during this period changing nesting sites. It is unusual to see a hedgehog around during winter or in daylight, so if you do see one and it looks unwell, it might need a helping hand.
Handling and care
Hedgehogs are wild animals, so being handled is a stressful experience. If you are unsure, contact a specialist group before trying to help. If you decide to intervene, here's what to do:
- Prepare a cardboard box with high sides by lining it with a towel or scrunched up newspaper (so that the hedgehog can hide).
- Find yourself a pair of gardening gloves before gently scooping up the hedgehog into the box.
- Keep the box in a quiet, warm place: a hot water bottle filled with hot tap water wrapped in a towel can provide a gentle heat source – make sure it doesn’t go cold!
- You can provide some fresh water and meaty cat or dog food, but don't try to feed the hedgehog directly.
Who to contact
If you haven't already, contact The British Hedgehog Preservation Society, who can offer in depth advice and help you find a local rescue centre.
How to check a bonfire for hedgehogs
Bonfires are very dangerous for hedgehogs as woodpiles are ideal places for shelter. Sadly many hedgehogs fall foul of un-checked bonfires and are killed because of it. But we can all take steps to ensure bonfires are as safe as possible.
- Store materials for your bonfire in a safe place – then on the day you want to light it, move them to a different patch of ground.
- Build the bonfire on the same day that you will light it. The longer it’s left for, the more likely it is that a hedgehog will wander in.
- Always place the bonfire on open ground – never on a pile of leaves as a hedgehog may be hiding underneath.
- Always check the entire bonfire for hedgehogs before lighting it. They tend to hide in the base of the centre of the pile.
If you do find a hedgehog then move slowly and calmly. Pick it up with gardening gloves, along with any nesting material it may have been sitting in, and place it in a cardboard box lined with newspaper. Relocate the box to a safe location and release the hedgehog under a bush or log pile.
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The vital work we do for nature depends on the support of people who care about the future of Devon’s wildlife and wild places.