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Help Save the Hedgehogs Part II

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  • Oh @AnniD what a cutie and what a sad story too, so much effort is put into helping little hedgehogs - the time too really is like caring for a human baby although often these little hoglets need feeding every hour or two.  We have the tiniest of hoglets walking past our feeding station every evening, but it never stops for food or water - how long is it before a hoglet is weaned off it's mothers milk I wonder?
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,584
    It's a relatively short period of time @Guernsey Donkey2.
    They usually go out with mum around 3 to 4 weeks old, and then out in the big wide world on their own about 10 days after that.
  • Logan4Logan4 Posts: 2,590
    Yes @annid they're very cute.  Last night because it was raining they didn't come out. But we found the bowl empty in the morning.
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,584
    This little girl was brought into the local rescue with what was at first thought to be one puncture wound. When she was taken to the vets to be checked over, they found three puncture wounds.
    The positioning of the wounds led the Rescue lady and the vet to agree that they had been caused by a garden fork.
    PLEASE, PLEASE check for hedgehogs before digging, forking or strimming in undergrowth or any thick vegetation/cover.
    It is touch and go for this little one, fingers crossed :( .




  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    edited August 2019
    This is why I am not messing about in one area in my garden that I know the hoggies spend the night time in, just in case they are having a sleep over.
    It's an area used by baby birds too, so if it gets a bit weedy so be it.

    P.S. We have a new bigger hog visiting now and a much smaller one too, but it seems my regular visitor has disappeared as I thought it might being as I thought it was a young male. Maybe it will still visit in the future.
  • Oh poor little hoglet @AnniD I do hope he pulls through- on one of the hottest days of the year at around midday I found a tiny hoglet on the path in the field, in full sun, curled up and fast asleep.  Picking him up I noticed a few ticks on him, but apart from that he looked o.k. After some reasoning I decided the rescue centre would be able to check him over, de-tick him and hopefully release soon, so off he went in cardboard box. They seemed hopeful for the hog and gave him food and water. Fingers crossed he survives too. What wonderful people these often volunteers are.
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,584
    They certainly are @Guernsey Donkey2.
    Finding him out in broad daylight, let alone full sun, you definitely did the right thing. Poor little soul probably got lost or left behind by mum.
    Our rescue is planning to reopen next Monday. Even though they were closed, someone brought that little one in. What can you do ? Even though she wasn't there, her partner took it in and did his best for it until she came back the next day.
    Problem is, even though she has a Facebook page and leaves a message on her phone, not everyone has Facebook or even a computer. They probably just decided to take it without ringing first.
  • Like most voluntary work, often the volunteers are expected to be on call 24 hrs a day. Two members of our family are volunteers - just a few hours a week and they have other full time jobs, and they sometimes  have people turning up out of the blue and expecting our family to be there for them - it is hard to say "no" to them and ask suggest that they call the helpline.
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    That was lucky to find him. 🙂
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