York is known for being a hedgehog haven, with the statistics remaining most steady in Yorkshire compared with the rest of the UK. This is thanks to the likes of York St John University’s Gold Award for wildlife preservation work run by the British Hedgehog Preservation Scheme.
Despite these efforts, the latest report looking into Britain’s hedgehogs has stated that numbers have fallen by 30% in urban areas, and 50% in rural areas since the millennium.
Therefore, from 3rd to the 9th of May, York will be celebrating Hedgehog Awareness Week, in order to educate people about the action that needs to be taken to help these adored animals.
Hedgehog Cottage Rescue
Photo Credit:Christina Olivant
Multiple charities and rescuers throughout Yorkshire continue to work endlessly to protect hedgehogs from extinction. One is the Hedgehog Cottage Rescue in Beilby, situated a few miles to the East of York, run by Caroline Rose.
The Hedgehog Cottage Rescue is a self-funded hedgehog rescue and rehabilitation centre that Caroline started after her sister stumbled upon a solitary hedgehog in 2017, “I fell in love with this hedgehog. He was 110g, he was tiny. I don’t know what happened to his mum, there were no siblings… By some miracle, with the help of the hedgehog rescue team in York, he survived and he’s somewhere in our garden!”
The rescue was incredibly well stocked with multiple variations of food and accommodation for the hedgehogs, as I was informed of their prickly…sorry…picky nature, “The hog will tell me what it does or doesn’t like. Whether it’s to eat, or what type of bedding it’s got, or the type of house it’s got.”
Caroline explained the constant work that running the rescue can take, “Your record keeping has to be spot on, I have to weigh them every day, I’m checking their poo and putting it under the microscope.”
Hedgehogs carry many internal parasites that are changing due to climate change and environmental factors. According to hedgehog rescuers, the thorny headed worm parasite, carried by woodlice, is increasing in the York region. This is causing more hedgehogs to be admitted to rescues because of their illnesses.
Regardless of the growing threats towards hedgehogs, “There’s lots that we can do to help them, and the sooner we get them into rescue, the higher the chances are that we can treat them and get them back into the wild.”
Caroline’s Top Tips to help Hedgehogs Thrive!
- Always leave out water to decrease dehydration
- Leave out small kitten biscuits to make it easier for them to eat
- High protein Hedgehog food (Caroline recommends ‘Spikes’ and ‘Brambles’)
- Hedgehog Highways- for them to pass through fences and travel to find food
- Be cautious when using garden appliances such as strimmers, check the area for hedgehogs
- If you see a hedgehog during the day, there is an issue. Scoop up the hedgehog, place it in a tall box, and contact a hedgehog rescue or vet. Do not feed it, but do give them some water.
A simple start can lead to great change, as the British Hedgehog Preservation Society is asking people to sign a pledge for Hedgehog Awareness Week, promising to make some small steps to help hedgehogs all over the country.
“To fail to act is to risk being left with little but fading memories-ghosts hedgehogs in tattered hedgerows. But if we care enough for Britain’s most beloved animal to make the few, small alterations needed to save it, then we too shall reap rewards.”
Tom Moorhouse
