Environment

Hedgehog rescue unit looking to expand

by Paul Conneally | December 30, 2007 at 06:46 am

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In the UK the hedgehog remains a firm favourite with rescue centres and hedgehog hospitals spread across the whole nation. Kid's brought up on The Story of Mrs. Tiggywinkle will sit up at night to catch a view of the snail eating spiky night creature. There was outrage when a cull of hedgehogs was proposed on some Scottish islands. As roads get ever busier there will be a constant stream of injured hedgehogs making their way in cardboard boxes to rescue units just like this across the UK.

A HEDGEHOG rescue centre that is looking after 60 injured and orphaned creatures is looking to expand.

Hospital “matron” Lynn Satchell, who set up the unit, barely has room to do her rounds, with scores of animals shoe-horned into a shed in her bungalow back garden in Potters Drive, Hopton.

The family-run operation is coping with double the number of animals it had last winter and spending thousands on vets' bills, food and heated pads.

But interest and support for the project has been overwhelming, with schools and visitor groups all saying they want to learn more about hedgehogs and see the hospital for themselves.

Mrs Satchell is hoping for a link-up with a local garden centre or stables to provide more space for hedgehog patients and an education facility for visitors.

She said: “Because the weather was so wet at the beginning of the year the babies were getting washed out of their nests. So they had their litters late and then we had a cold snap so the mums went into hibernation and left them on their own.

“We have had them in in droves. We have a couple

of volunteers now and we would really like to try to

find someone who would

not mind helping us out

with some space so we

can have open days and people to visit. At the moment we have 60 in a 14ft by 8ft shed.

“I would like to be able to take 200 hedgehogs but it is getting the premises. I am only in a bungalow and it's very awkward to expand anywhere here. I am willing to pay a rent once the charity status comes through.”

Mrs Satchell's home-made hospital made headlines nationwide after the Mercury told the story of two rare albino hedgehogs in her care. The publicity generated offers of help and a London sponsor - refusedinsurance.com - for the albino siblings, one of whom has died. The remaining male has been renamed Harry Hodge.

Interest has also come from commercial horticulturists and people with big gardens who would like a hedgehog as a natural way to keep the garden pest-free.

“It's gone absolutely mad

but we are thoroughly enjoying it. We have given about 20 talks to schools and the children have loved it. I would like to do more on the education side and have four or five sheds or outbuildings where we could run a proper hospital with more volunteers.

“We do get a lot of people wanting to help but there is no room for them.