Guernsey Hedgehog Rescue Centre

VOLUNTEERS WANTED

- Caring for hogs
- Washing dishes
- Carpenter

For more info call
07781 144250

HOG FACT NO.2
Hedgehog spines are hollow. A four week-old hoglet has about 3000 spines; adults will have 5000 to 7500.

NEWS (2006)

Important Autumn Information (12/10/06)

Hedgehogs are now eating all they can to build up their fat reserves for the winter - so again they will be grateful for extra food that we can supply! (Click here for more information). Water is also extremely important, provided in a shallow dish or saucer.

A particular concern at this time of year is the autumn juveniles - those hoglets from the second or third litter of the year that may be born in September or October. These hoglets have far less opportunity to grow before the winter comes, but will be desperately trying to build up enough fat and bodyweight to survive the coming winter.

Hedgehogs need to weigh at least 700 grams (well over 1 lb.) to be able to survive the winter. Those who weigh less will not survive hibernation.

We all need to be watching out for these hoglets that may be in trouble - so often they are brought to the centre when it is too late - they are dehydrated, weak, and may have fly-strike, and we cannot save them (though we do have some great successes!).

ANY hedgehog that is out during the daytime shouldn’t be there, and needs to be checked. If you find a hedgehog that you are not sure about, first pick it up and put it in a box (so that it doesn’t wander off!) then ring the centre for advice. To survive the hedgehog must be kept warm. Any hedgehog that is brought in to us for treatment can be returned to your garden if you wish once it is recovered.

Juvenile hedgehogs at the rescue centre that are not heavy enough to be released have to be kept over the winter and released the following spring.

Take care with bonfires (12/10/06)

Autumn is the season for bonfires and firework parties, and this can be a dangerous time for hedgehogs. Hedgehogs will happily curl up under a bonfire for shelter, but will then be unable to escape when the bonfire is lit. So here are a few tips:

1. Build and light your bonfire on the same day, so that hedgehogs do not have a chance to go to sleep underneath it.

2. If you have to build your bonfire over several days, move all the material to another pile on the day you are to burn it, or check underneath it very carefully before you light it.

3. If you are celebrating Guy Fawkes Night, consider not having a bonfire at all, or replacing it with a brazier - just as good to keep warm around, and much safer for the hedgehogs!

4. If you are burning garden rubbish, save a bit to put under a hedge or by a wall - this will make a wonderful safe place for hedgehogs to sleep.

Hedgehog helpers desperately needed (16/09/06)

We desperately need volunteers here at the Guernsey Hedgehog Rescue Centre.

With winter approaching we are expecting the number of hedgehogs being cared for at the centre to increase and we are already understaffed.

At the moment we have two ladies who help us out - one who does one morning a week and another who does two mornings a week. They are both great workers who do as much as they can and we are very grateful to them, however when Dawn (the Centre founder) is on her own it can take her from 6.30am to 10am just to clean out all the hutches.

We are quite flexible as long as the voluntary work is on a regular basis so we can work out our rota in advance.

It’s very rewarding work and the two ladies who help out at the moment absolutely adore it. All you need to have is a bit of common sense and not to be too squeamish.

Volunteers are needed from about 7.30am until 9.30am.

For more information please contact Dawn on 07781 144250.

UPDATE (12/11/06):
As a result of our campaign for volunteers we have been very lucky to get three additional people to help clean at the centre. Jacquie, Jan and Mel have now joined Val, Shirley and Dawn on our rota of cleaners. We have had many phone calls from people offering assistance and we would like to thank them all. If you are interested in volunteering please still call us.

William Watling photographs (14/09/06)

The centre was recently visited by William Watling, a professional photographer on holiday in Guernsey.

Whilst at the centre William took some photos of our hedgehogs.

These fabulous photos can now be viewed online at his website www.illuminessence.co.uk.

Click here for a direct link to the photos taken at the centre.

UPDATE (23/09/06):
These photos can now also be seen on various pages of this website. Our thanks to William for letting us use these photos as we wish.

UPDATE (22/10/06):
William has very kindly created some desktop wallpapers for us. These can now be downloaded from our downloads page.

Hedgehog victory over fast food giant! (12/09/06)

It has been a long hard battle, but the British Hedgehog Preservation Society is celebrating the news that McDonald’s have changed the lid on their McFlurry dessert!

The original containers trapped many hedgehogs, some were released by kindly passers by, some were found dead, and it will never be known how many were never found at all. The new lid has a smaller aperture so the customer will take the lid off to get to the ice cream. Even if the cup does get thrown to the floor with the lid attached, the hole should be too small for hedgehogs to push into.

A spokesperson from McDonalds said “In consultation with the BHPS, we have undertaken significant research and testing to develop new packaging for our McFlurry dessert that addresses this issue. We are delighted to announce that we have now introduced a new lid with a smaller aperture for our McFlurry dessert. The smaller aperture of the lid has been designed to prevent hedgehogs from entering the McFlurry container in the unfortunate incidence that a lid is littered and is then accessible to wildlife.

Our restaurants and packaging will continue to display anti-littering messaging to encourage our customers to dispose of their litter responsibly, and we conduct daily litter patrols whereby we collect not only McDonald's packaging but also any other litter that has been carelessly discarded.”

Fay Vass, Chief Executive of the Society said “This is excellent, if long overdue news! We have been in touch with McDonald’s about this problem for over five years, and are delighted that they have at last solved the problem. Thanks to public support of our campaign, from the 1st September 2006 every McDonald’s restaurant in the UK will be using the new lids on their McFlurry cups and by doing so many hedgehog lives will be saved.”

Issued by British Hedgehog Preservation Society
Hedgehog House, Dhustone, Ludlow. SY8 3PL
Tel: 01584 890 801
www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk

HogWatch (20/08/06)

Funded by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society and the People's Trust for Endangered Species HogWatch is a major new piece of research into the decline of hedgehogs.

Visit the HogWatch website at www.hogwatch.org.uk for more information and to see how you can get involved.

UPDATE (MARCH 07):
The HogWatch Survey has now closed but you can still look at their factsheets and download their screensaver on their website.

Hedgehog heat wave warning (26/07/06)

The following is a press release issued by The British Hedgehog Preservation Society:

The current spell of hot weather is enjoyed by most humans but hedgehogs are struggling.

The heat dries the ground out making it difficult to find natural food such as slugs and worms. There is also a lack of available water; wildlife really does need our help in this weather! Leaving a shallow bowl of fresh water in the same place every night and offering some meat based pet food could save lives. As it is also baby season, mother hedgehogs will especially appreciate the help and won’t have to travel so far from their nest.

Another important way to help is to keep pond and pool levels topped up. Hedgehogs are very good swimmers but cannot get out of steep sided ponds and pools. They may drown as they become too tired to swim. Providing half submerged rocks in ponds or floats in pools will help, as will checking each morning to see if anything has fallen in overnight and needs help.

These little things take just a few minutes and really will make a huge difference, not only to hedgehogs, but to all manner of wildlife.

A free copy of “Gardening with Hedgehogs” can be obtained by sending an A5 stamped SAE to British Hedgehog Preservation Society Gardening, Hedgehog House, Dhustone, Ludlow, SY8 3PL, or visit their website: www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk.

END

The centre here in Guernsey continues to be very busy. We have been brought a number of hedgehogs recently suffering with heat exhaustion.

We also have received numerous hoglets who have not been able to find sufficient food; some have been infested with ticks, which causes them to become dehydrated and anaemic.

Should you require any further information please contact the centre.

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