Hogarth's Hedgehogs_August, 2009

"If it's out in the day, something is wrong!"

The sub-heading above says it all - the "out in the day" message is certainly getting across. Welcome to this Supplemental update of August, 2009 - when, at the time of writing this, we are at the peak (busiest!) time of the year when we receive many calls and messages for help, every day! These calls for help come in from everywhere, so we are having some difficulty keeping up - however, we are coping reasonably well. Interestingly, at the moment the majority of these calls are coming from the North - in both South & North Yorkshire, Lancashire & Greater Manchester, Cumbria and in Scotland. We do try to help advise in the best way possible, as well as trying to link up with a local hedgehog rescuer or carer - it's not an easy thing to do, especially these days and isn't always successful. However, we've had a good deal of success so feel we are winning the battle, as it were.

Another area that keeps cropping up in our records - a bit closer to home - is Nottinghamshire and the city Nottingham, itself. This area has become so lacking in Hedgehog expertise, that we are asking folks, if or where possible, to bring the hedgehogs directly to us from there. Luckily, we have our friends and supporters Kathryn & family in Gedling who have been helping out. Last year, were the first of the hedgehogs to be released there as a conservation programme (community) - monitored by them. They came to collect four hedgehogs last September, 3 of whom were hand-reared and the one a blind hedgehog originally from Barwell. The process will be repeated again this year.

Kathryn reported that they have all done very well, having hibernated successfully, re-awakening in the Spring. The blind hedgehog included - he is in a large enclosed area. A lot of very careful preparation and care goes into this, and these are hedgehogs that could not be released back to their exact original location, for one reason or another. Hedgehogs being rehabilitated from different areas enriches the gene-pool, and therefore reduces the risk of faults such as pale forms cropping up - this is also what happens in nature, as dispersal.

Of course, none of the work could have ever been possible without the support from within all of our Membership - including all of our supporters and Volunteers. Also the excellent veterinary cover that we have! We do need to continue to buy in essential formula-milk powder, more so these days to help keep up with the demand (Esbilac only, for the hoglets - this is expensive) plus more equipment (e.g. for incubation), in order for our work to continue. We've given everything we have got to get to the level that we have reached, so A HUGE THANK YOU, to you ALL!!!