To ask you to please help hedgehogs and other wildlife prepare for winter

[Pricklesinperil]

It is literally a lifeline for them as the weather gets warmer.

if you’d like to know about other ways to help, please go to Help hedgehogs

thank you

Note from MNHQ - please do read the Op's latest update (October 2022) before responding.

I have put water out and will put food out later, once our cat is in for the night.

We have taken two to the hedgehog hospital already this year, one adult female who was out all day and is being treated for a parasite and one very very young hoglet. We have a theory based on some things online that possibly after we took the first one to hospital a pregnant female moved into the nest to give birth and that's where the hoglet came from.

😘

@Pricklesinperil I had to fill my hedgehog dishes twice too. I filled them about 8pm, and then went out at midnight and they were two thirds empty. So I refilled them.

@Pricklesinperil can I ask your advice please? One of my hogs has spent the day asleep under a bush rather then under the shed x. He keeps moving around but even though I moved water closer to him hasn’t had any x is there anything else I can do other than fill the three bowls of water and hope he goes to one of them? X

Hi @blobby10 - read the below - does the bit in bold sound like your hedgehog? Trust your instincts- follow the advice underlined and call the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) on 01584 890 801.

—————————————-_——————————————————————————————
Sick or injured hedgehog?
What to do if you find a hedgehog that looks unwell

If you spot a hedgehog at night and it looks healthy then the best thing you can do is leave it alone. Hedgehogs are wild animals and so can get very easily stressed by human contact. If the sighting is during the day – it could be a warning sign that all is not well. However, there are some exceptions, nest disturbance, females nest building in preparation for young to be born or feeding while young are asleep being some. Those hedgehogs will generally be moving quickly, appear well and only out for short periods of time. Monitor from a distance to ensure no problems develop and if in doubt call the British Hedgehog Preservation Society on 01584 890 801. However if you find a hedgehog staggering around, lying still (not in a nest), with flies around it or obviously sick or injured be it day or night, it needs urgent help.

Sick, injured and orphaned hedgehogs are very susceptible to hypothermia. Staggering is a sign of hypothermia and so is ‘sunbathing’ as they spread themselves out in the sun in an attempt to get some heat into their bodies. If you find a hedgehog in this state, they need your help quickly.

Use gardening gloves or a towel to handle the hedgehog, then take it inside in a box and place a well-wrapped hot water bottle underneath it. Fill the bottle with hot tap water (not boiling) – you should be able to hold your hand comfortably on the bottle when wrapped. It’s really important that the bottle is not allowed to go cold or it will do more harm than good, so change the water frequently and make sure there is room in the box for the hedgehog to get off the bottle if it gets too warm.

Gently cover the hedgehog with an old towel or fleece to make it feel more secure and offer some meaty cat or dog food and water. Once you have the hedgehog settled somewhere quiet indoors, call the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) on 01584 890 801.

Thanks @Pricklesinperil he’s not been staggering and has now disappeared further into the bushes so hopefully will have some food and water and feel better but I will keep an eye on him and have my gardening gloves ready x

Well done for keeping such a caring eye over your hedgehog visitors @blobby10 . Keep this number handy if you have any concerns:

British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) on 01584 890 801.

It’s so heart warming to read about wonderful caring people like yourself on this thread @tentative3.

thank you for sharing your hedgehog story and for continuing to help hedgehogs by leaving out fresh water every night.

Bumping, as putting fresh water out is especially important just now 🌞

I was a bit worried about our swifts this year as I've only seen two flying - which is down on all previous years - but I've just seen 6, so I'm feeling much better. Swifts are such amazing birds and it's incredible to think they come and use our house as a nursery all the way from Africa every year. It's quite crowded, what with all the other birds, bats and bees. Might start charging rent!

Thank you for the bump @MrsMAgain and I’m glad that your swifts have returned. It sounds like your house and garden are a real sanctuary for all types of wildlife, how lovely of you to post and share.

Daily bump to remind everyone to put water out for wildlife today (although even the birds have taken cover at the moment).

Just discovered one of our hedgehogs curled up underneath the BBQ cover in the shade.

I went out into the garden at 5am this morning and saw one of my hedgehogs disappearing through the hedgehog hole into next door’s garden. There was still some water left but both bowls of food had been cleared.

@MrsMAgain how lovely you have swifts nesting in your roof. I love to watch them.

Just bumping to remind everyone to put out their wildlife water this evening after such a hot day!

It really lifts my spirits to see and hear our swifts' aerobatics every summer @Pricklesinperil and @Eckno . It also amazes me how they zoom in to the roof through the tiny gaps, without even seeming to slow down.

I'm really enjoying reading about all the hedgehogs, albeit a little jealously as we haven't had any of our own for a few years now despite living in the countryside. My last one was an absolute giant and very noisy - really miss them. Well done OP and everyone for taking care of your hedgehogs and other wildlife and thanks for sharing them on here.

We have peregrine falcons at work - keep having to rescue this year’s youngsters from inside the building. I think they must be getting in down the chimneys somehow. Have taken to keeping a large bowl of water inside just in case they’re stuck for a few hours.

Bump.

One of mine is thirsty tonight, hopefully his mate will be along soon.

Thank you all for the bumps and for sharing more wildlife updates. You are all so lovely as it must have been so very hard for wildlife during this spell of unbearably hot weather.

@blobby10 - the hedgehog you posted about yesterday has been on my mind, I wanted to ask if there had been any change?

@Dreikanter - how is the hedgehog that you found in the shade of your BBQ? I’m a little jealous of you having hedgehogs at home and peregrine falcons at work!

@Eckno so sweet that you saw the backend of your hedgehog early this morning. Are you normally up at 5am?

@bloodywhitecat gorgeous pic! What did you do on Sunday in the end re: hedgehog food?

@Pricklesinperil I watered as suggested and turned over a pile of leaves in the hope that insects would turn up. I scatter feed the hogs so I also hoped they would be able to find some that they, and the crows, had missed. I love this thread btw, it is wonderful to see so many people doing stuff for wildlife, thank you for starting it.

@Pricklesinperil I’m so sorry for not updating you! Monday evening i witnessed the mating dance between my two hogs - the one I had been worried about is (I think) a larger male and the smaller and darker one female. The female was feeding when the male came out from the bush - she was grunting he was fluffing his shoulder prickles and pushing his head along the ground like a dog submitting to another dog! He pushed forwards, she went backwards and This went on for about half an hour then the male disappeared next door! They did the same several more times through the night as I heard the grunting!

last night I saw the male have a good long drink before disappearing. I feel so privileged to have witnessed the hogs - if it wasn’t for your thread @Pricklesinperil I never would have put out food and water so Thankyou so much xx

@Pricklesinperil I peeked under the cover at about 7pm and woke him/her up - they disappeared later and returned for dinner at sometime after dark.

I love this thread, and have hedgehog envy being as how I'm in Australia. 👀

I don't know where those eyes came from. I was looking for a hedgehog emoji, or even an echidna would do.

Found it! 🦔

@bloodywhitecat I’m sure all that hard work on your part resulted in some tasty insects for the hedgehoGs! Scatter feeding is a good tip! I agree, it’s lovely to read posts from others who also care about wildlife - I do enjoy catching up on the wildlife news 😀