Emergency Information

A hedgehog out during the day needs your help.

What does this really mean? Well hedgehogs are nocturnal (They sleep during the day and come out at night). If a hedgehog is out during the day it means that something is wrong, seriously wrong.

  • If you see a hedgehog “sunbathing” – It is sick!
  • If you see a hedgehog stumbling round like it is “drunk” – It is sick!
  • If you see hoglets (baby hedgehogs) out and about, especially during the day, without their mother they may have been abandoned or their mother may have been injured or killed – They also MAY need help. Call a rescue for advice!

What can I do to help a sick Hedgehog?

  1. Hedgehogs should ideally only be handled with thick gloves, their spines can hurt and they may bite, also you don’t know where they may have been or what they may be suffering from.
  2. Once you have established that a hedgehog is in need of assistance, very carefully pick it up and put it in a cardboard box with newspaper and an old towel. You must never use wood shavings, hay or shredded office or newspaper, as they may contaminate wounds, and if the hedgehog is active in the box, paper or hay can become wrapped around limbs and cause further problems, office paper can cut their feet.
  3. You could also add a hot water bottle (or a plastic drinks bottle) filled with warm water and wrapped in a towel to allow it to warm the hog gently as it will help an animal that is suffering from shock.
  4. The hedgehog should then be taken to a wildlife hospital or specialist rescue as soon as possible.

Our friends at the British Hedgehog Preservation Society have a detailed list of rescues and animal hospitals across the country. You can contact them on 01584 890 801.

If you are in the North Hampshire / South Berkshire / North West Surrey area you can call us directly on 01252 871478.

What NOT to do

  • You should never disturb a nest, try to wake, or interfere with, a hibernating hedgehog.
  • Don’t approach a hedgehog that is out foraging for food at night – This is exactly normal behaviour!
  • But most importantly – If you have a sick or injured hog NEVER contact a rescue or animal hospital by email, facebook, text message, ouiji board, smoke signals, telepathy or anything except a DIRECT PHONE CALL – The hedgehog’s life may depend on an immediate response, and anything other than a phone call could get missed!