Welcome to Wyre Forest Hedgehog Rescue, a self funded voluntary organisation.

Statistics show that the hedgehogs of Britain are dying out. According to latest Government ‘British Mammals Report’ Hedgehogs face extinction within seventeen years. We have always had a passion for hedgehogs.
For years we have fed them and watched them in our garden. As our interest grew we decided to take this 'hobby' a step further and looked into caring for sick and injured hedgehogs ourselves. We contacted the British Hedgehog Preservation Society and we were added to their carers list, with lots of support and advice from other carers, & Kay Bullen at The Hedgehog Helpline we formed our own organisation, Wyre Forest Hedgehog Rescue based in Kidderminster, Worcestershire,

There are many issues which are contributing to the decline of the hedgehog population. A large proportion of people are removing hedges & bushes and generally tidying their gardens which is detrimental to the hedgehog population as it removes the shelter where they would otherwise have nested. If possible, please try to leave an untidy area tucked away in your garden which can be used for hibernation hideaways. Also the use of gravel boards in fencing has stopped the hedgehogs moving from garden to garden in search of food. Most hedgehogs will travel between 10 gardens per night! ( please leave a small hole 5" so they can gain access). There has also been a substantial increase in the number of pesticides and rat poisons used to control vermin in urban areas.  Probably the most important of all though is food and water. With the winter seasons getting milder, hedgehogs are having late litters and not hibernating until much later. Unfortunately much of the food sources have gone by the winter months and the young will never be able to put on enough weight to survive. A simple hedgehog house and a regular supply of food and water in your garden will certainly postpone the extinction of these wonderful creatures.

Hedgehogs should not be out during the day. If you find a sick or injured hedgehog, it is essential to keep it warm. If possible put it in a high sided box, wrap it in a towel, put it on a warm water bottle (not hot). If there are any signs of fly eggs or maggots on it don't use heat, then contact your local rescue centre or carer as soon as possible.
 If you cannot get through straight away then the hedgehog should be taken to your local vet, they should give basic emergency treatment free of charge. Please do not leave the hedgehog to suffer. In most cases sick hedgehogs will require fluids and specialist care, once fit and well you can always offer to have the hedgehog back. If you are not able to get to a vets, please contact us and we will see what we can suggest or do.

Often by the time a hedgehog finds its way to us it will be very ill, lots of time and effort will be needed to help the hedgehog recover.  We provide rehabilitation and pay for veterinary care with the aim of releasing all hedgehogs back into the wild once they are well enough to fend for themselves.  When a hedgehog is not able to return to the wild, a secure garden will be found where the hedgehog can lead as natural a life as possible.

Due to the costs involved, we needed to expand our efforts and raise funds so that we could take in more casualties and orphans.  We attend &  fundraise at various local events and car boot sales and also give illustrated awareness talks to cover the costs of food, veterinary treatment and housing.  The majority of hedgehogs that come in will require at least one trip to the vet, some will need long term treatment.  Looking after hedgehogs can be costly, we can go through many tins of dog/cat food and biscuits in a week!  Last year alone we helped and cared for many hedgehogs, over 70% were successfully re- released back into the wild. Unfortunately, some were so badly injured they were put to sleep by our vet as to end their suffering. Others which came in were so poorly no matter what treatment they received they would not respond and sadly gave up.

There are many hedgehog 'carers' all over the country. A list of which can be found on the British Hedgehog Preservation Society's website which can be found  at  http://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/ 

Sometimes we have hedgehogs which need re-homing, if you are interested please contact us.

  

A hedgehog fact sheet can be downloaded from Hog Watch by clicking here.

Hedgehogs will soon be waking up from hibernation, after such a long and hard winter they will have used up all their fat reserves, they will be cold, very hungry and possibly dehydrated. Please keep an eye out for them, offer food and water as this can be a life saver. If you find one in trouble out in the day, wobbly etc then please call your nearest carer asap.

 

Never feed bread or milk to a hedgehog