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When to rescue:
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How do you know a hedgehog needs help?
During the dayHedgehogs are strictly nocturnal. If you see one out in the day, it will need help in 95% of cases. Don't delay - alert our rescue team and secure the hedgehog in a deep box. If you leave the hedgehog out in the garden it will deteriorate quickly and it will suffer from fly strike (flies laying eggs on it, which turn into maggots). One fly can kill a hedgehog!
One exception: foraging mothers or mums who are taking a break from their hot nest are sometimes out in the early or late hours of the day. However, they are easily recognisable, as they move fast and with a purpose. If in doubt, our team will carefully evaluate what needs to be done. We can assess quickly whether a hedgehog is lactating. The picture below shows a foraging mum - she will be OK. 
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At night, dusk or dawnIf you see a hedgehog in your garden or in the park from sunset to sunrise, it is usually OK. Signs that a hedgehog needs help are any kind of unusual movements, such as limping, wobbling, falling over, running in circles - or no movement at all (laying on the side or being curled up) while out in the open.
You may also notice a visible wound, blood or fly eggs (they look like little grains of rice which sometimes stick together like little white pouches). 
Hedgehog noises are usually not a sign of illness, unless they sound like a cough. Many hedgehogs sniffle when they are forging, and you may hear some hissing and puffing, indicating that a male may be approaching a possible partner, or two males are fighting for a food source.
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Orphaned hoglets and autumn juveniles
Spring and Summer
If you find a hedgehog of the size of a tennis ball or smaller, it should still be with its mum. Spend a bit of time watching whether mum is around - the nest might have been disturbed, and she is moving the youngsters to a safe location. If mum is not present, look out for other hoglets in the close vicinity to where you found the first one. Please alert our rescue team.
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Autumn into December
By October, hedgehogs should be the size of a large pineapple. If they have not reached a specific weight (rule of thumb: 600g), they will need to come in for a few weeks to be fed and cared for until they can be released to safely hibernate.
So if you see a mango sized - or even smaller - hedgehog in autumn, please alert our rescue team. |
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Hedgehog size guide: two critical times
