Environment

Baby hedgehogs saved from a homeless Christmas

by Amy Judd | December 23, 2008 at 11:59 am

519 views | 7 Recommendations | 7 comments

Due to the recent cold weather these past few weeks, but the rare warm weather in the weeks before that, animals such as the hedgehog, who had a second breeding season in October, are now homeless, struggling to survive, and freezing during this cold snap.

Orphaned hedgehogs are being taken in by animal shelters across the UK, as they are stuggling to survive. They will be given cat or dog food for their Christmas lunch and will be released after the cold weather has passed.

A warm October is thought to have created a second breeding season for the hedgehogs, meaning more young ones than ever before are currently rustling around.

Many animal rescue centres, such as Wildlife Aid in Leatherhead, Surrey, are being inundated with small creatures.

So far 50 - a record number at this time of year - have been handed in to the charity.

Simon Cowell, MBE, co-founder of the centre said: "Come Christmas night more than ever before will be sleeping with us.

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Karenke4

at 12:24 on December 23rd, 2008

These little guys are so cute!

fishtuna

at 14:47 on December 23rd, 2008

I have some video footage of this hedgehog (on the picture) where you can see the hand feeding process.
http://www.vimeo.com/2000606
Unfortunately the hedgehog didn't survived.

fishtuna has contributed a photo to this story.

strass_star

at 00:52 on December 24th, 2008

my precious little bundles found in june 2008 3 of ( one was found dead) all survived due to human intervention, so touched by everone off flickr emailing and asking about them, they were adorable, i went to visit them on 2 occasions to watch them being fed (ive more more pics somewhere )and toilet trained by the lovely Nadine from Glenfield, Leicester UK
she is a wonderwoman dealing with 10-30 plus hedgehogs at anyone time and paying for all the care and vet bills personally. Amazing devotion..through the joys of release of a hedgehog to the sorrows of getting so far sometimes and then sadly dealing with the loss, a tough job i couldnt do and a thankless task.
for anyone that does this tirelessly.. they truly are saints!

strass_star has contributed a photo to this story.

Paschen

at 05:11 on December 25th, 2008

I like those hedgehogs and never understood why they are called Hedgehogs in English, In French they are called Erison and in German Igle. Yet in most areas of Europe they are now almost endangered and yet a very useful Animal to have around.

I am glad this on is safe and sound.

fiddlenotes

at 04:23 on December 24th, 2008

I had never seen a hedgehog before. I spied this little guy on a walk in a little village in Southern Germany. He was quite cooperative with my taking his picture.

fiddlenotes has contributed a photo to this story.