How to rescue a hedgehog

Act fast - and alert us!

But please remember that unless there is a good reason a healthy hedgehog shouldn't be moved.
If in any doubt whether a hedgehog needs help, check out our When to rescue page.
And contact us for advice: [email protected]

In your garden

If you see a hedgehog in your garden out in the day, or clearly unwell at night, don't watch it for several days assuming it might get better. It will need help fast.

Alert us and follow the instructions below to put the hedgehog in a box and bring it inside. It needs to get out of the sun as soon as possible, into a cooler room where it is also protected from flies. In colder weather it will need warming up and given a hot water bottle (not too hot, it needs to get off it - see below). Wear gloves or use a towel to pick up the hedgehog.

If you suspect it is a mother, wait for our advice, unless the hedgehog is in immediate danger (on a road, attacked by a dog or similar).

In an open space, park or road

If it is near a road or otherwise in danger, pick the hedgehog up and place it somewhere safer. Get in touch and give us a description of where you found the hedgehog, as detailed as possible. You could:

Use the What3words app to send the location
Put a pin on Google map and send it to us
Give us a detailed description, ideally sending us some pictures with nearby landscape features.

Never put yourself in danger when moving a hedgehog to safety - consider your own safety in traffic, and never enter deep or flowing water.
Ideally, wait for our volunteer to arrive who will rescue the hedgehog.

Steps when rescuing a hedgehog

Securing the hedgehog

Wear garden gloves or use a towel to pick the hedgehog up (softly place your hands below the hedgehog and lift it, don't grab it from the top).
Place it in a high sided box or bucket (should be at least 30cm deep). If you don't have a deep box and need to close the lid, make sure you have plenty of air holes in the box.

You can add some newspaper or kitchen paper for the hedgehog to sit on. Put a towel or small pet blanket loosely over the hedgehog to give it some cover.
If it is a hoglet (apple size or smaller), make sure you put some extra crunched up paper into the box, so that it does not roll around when you transport the box.
Take the box inside and leave in a quiet room. Do NOT leave it outside where it could be at risk from predators, adverse weather and flies.

Warming the hedgehog up

Even in warm weather, hedgehogs quickly go into hypothermia if they are poorly. Provide a hot water bottle (with warm water, NOT scalding hot, wrap it in a kitchen towel). If you don't have a hot water bottle, you could improvise one by pouring warm water into an empty plastic bottle.
Allow space inside the box to allow the hedgehog to move away from the heat source if it becomes too hot.
NOTE: in very hot summer weather, do not put a heat source into the box as the hedgehog might be overheated already.

Should you place food and water into the box?

Do not put food or water in the box because this can contaminate wounds. If there are fly eggs, they are hard to remove if they are wet.
On the rare occasions when you have to keep the hedgehog overnight, you can offer water and some cat food provided the hog is active. If the hedgehog is in a collapsed state then please don't offer food, just get to a rescue quickly.
YOU MUST NEVER GIVE A HEDGEHOG MILK OR BREAD. This applies to all hedgehogs, healthy or not. Also no fruit, veggies, crackers or other store cupboard treats meant for human consumption.

Important

Never leave the hedgehog box in a hot car or in direct sunlight behind a window in your home.
Be quiet around the hedgehog and don't allow dogs or inquisitive children to get too close. The hedgehog will be in a state of shock, and additional stress would damage it further.

Take it to a vet or a rescue

If you are in the Ealing area contact us at [email protected]

Don't attempt to care for the hedgehog yourself

Hedgehogs are fragile creatures and can deteriorate quickly when they are not well. They are masters at hiding an illness - only an experienced carer or vet will know what signs to look for. Unlike with pets, the fact that a hedgehog is eating does not mean it is OK - their instinct tells them to keep eating no matter what.

If you would like to over-winter an underweight hedgehog, you should seek professional advice first and get it checked over by a vet. Hedgehogs often carry internal parasites that can make them deteriorate quickly when in captivity.

Check out our volunteering page if you would like to be actively involved in caring for hedgehogs.

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