SHE lies on her back in my cupped hands, exposing four tiny paws and a round, furry belly. Her spines are still quite soft, as she’s only eight weeks old. This baby hedgehog, nick-named Hazel, is just one of what Angela Squires calls her “autumn orphans”. From now until Christmas, many more of these little creatures will be abandoned by their hibernating mothers. Angela, who runs CRASH (Care Rehabilitation and Aid for Sick Hedgehogs) from her home in Canford Heath, Poole, says it’s a busy time of year. “Hedgehogs normally only have two litters a year but now they are having another one later on in the autumn. The problem is that when Mum goes into hibernation her babies are too young to hibernate as they don’t have enough body fat.” Angela, who has been running her hedgehog hospital for the past 18 years and deals with around 2,000 “hoggies” a year, adds: “I don’t know why they are having more litters – perhaps they are trying to preserve themselves because they are an endangered species now. “There are quite a few areas around here, including Ferndown and West Moors, where there aren’t any hedgehogs at all.” The hedgehog population in Britain has halved in 10 years, especially in the South West and urban areas. Predators and disease are factors, but intensive farming and pesticides are thought to be the big killers. The decline is also being explained by the fact that badgers, whose numbers have increased since farmers were banned from culling them in the 1990s, compete for the same kind of food as hedgehogs. Then there are other hazards like rat traps. “We are noticing an increasing number of hedgehogs coming in with horrific injuries to their legs,” says Angela. “It is not unusual for hoggies to get their legs trapped in netting and drains but it is the rat traps which look like giant mouse traps that are the most worrying. One actually came with the trap hanging from its front leg.” Angela is appealing to people to use more humane traps and opt for wildlife-friendly slug pellets or other alternatives. “Hedgehogs are the only mammals that don’t do any harm to your garden. They only do good – they don’t even eat ladybirds.” A spokesman for the British Hedgehog Preservation Society confirmed that numbers were declining across the country. “Hedgehogs are now included on the government’s Bio Diversity Action Plan, which highlights certain species of animals and plants that need to be protected.” Kathy Smythe, who works for the Margaret Green animal sanctuary at Church Knowle, near Wareham, said they are also starting to get orphans too underweight to hibernate. A hedgehog needs to weigh at least 450 to 600g (around 1.5Ib) if it is to survive the winter. Homeowners are being advised they can help halt their decline by leaving out water and food, such as dog or cat food. Gardens can also be made “hedgehog friendly” by providing escape routes from ponds, keeping drain holes covered and checking piles of leaves before burning them in case hedgehogs are nesting. |
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