East Winch Wildlife Centre is running out of space as intake numbers rise

The RSPCA is fearing for the health of hedgehogs across Norfolk and beyond, as it experiences its busiest hedgehog season nationwide for three years, with intake numbers so far this year already higher than the whole of 2023.

As of November 11, 2,002 hedgehogs have already been taken in this year by the charity’s four wildlife centres and the centre at East Winch has so far admitted 959 hedgehogs this year, and staff fear there are many more to come.

Evangelos Achilleos, manager at the centre, said: “It has been relentless here at East Winch - we have been inundated. It is mostly hoglets that have been out during the day, and also hedgehogs with ringworm. We also had peak hedgehog admissions over the summer too. All the centres in this region are at capacity with hedgehogs.”

In September and October this year, traditionally a busy period for helping stricken hogs, 659 were admitted to RSPCA wildlife centres across the country - compared to 545 for the same period last year. Many of these were found out during the day, a sign they are sick or injured, while others were young who need to put on more weight to survive hibernation over winter.

The charity has said thankfully, the public are doing their bit to help. More than three quarters (77 per cent) of last year’s admissions were brought to the charity’s wildlife centres directly by concerned citizens, and the RSPCA is keen for more people to know what to do if they see a stricken hedgehog.

The RSPCA’s wildlife expert Dr Rebecca Martin added: “With the mild weather we have been experiencing, some hedgehogs have had a second litter so there may be small hedgehogs out and about, but there is still time for them to fatten up for winter. If they are being fed in the garden, we urge people to continue to do so and leave them where they are unless they are visibly weak, wobbly, injured or covered in parasites.

“Small hoglets found out during the daytime do need to be assessed by a professional but they may also come out a little earlier in the evening to forage for food, so they should be monitored to check whether they genuinely seem unwell before taking them to a wildlife centre or vet. That way, the sickest hedgehogs can be prioritised for the help they need. Please contact reputable sources for advice if there is any doubt.”

If an adult hedgehog weighs over 450g (15.9oz - bigger than an apple) and is only seen out at night, it should be healthy enough to hibernate as normal in the wild. They'll be foraging for food overnight so offering food in the garden is a great way for people to help them to put on even more weight before hibernation. Hedgehogs can wake up from hibernation and forage for food at least once during winter, so providing food in the garden throughout winter will also help.

Rebecca said: “We’re so grateful to all the animal lovers who have rescued sick or injured hedgehogs and brought them to our own wildlife centres, or to other centres or vets. It’s a huge help to us and to every hedgehog as they prepare for the winter.

“When an animal is in need, the quicker they get help the better. By rescuing small sick and injured animals such as hedgehogs yourselves, it frees up our teams to focus their specialist skills on investigating cruelty and neglect, and reaching more victims who urgently need our help.”

A hedgehog may need your help if: there’s an obvious sign of injury like a cut or a broken leg; if they’re lethargic, wobbly or walking in circles; if they have a large number of ticks or flies on them; if you see any maggots or fly eggs on them; if they don’t try to roll up when you approach them or touch them; if they’re not interested in the food you leave out; if it’s particularly cold (snowy, frosty or below zero for several days) if they weigh less than 450g (approx 15.9oz - about the size of an apple); if they’re in a dangerous place, such as on a road.

The RSPCA has issued five ways to help hedgehogs: Leave out supplementary food and water - a shallow dish of water and meat-based dog or cat food can help to supplement their diets. Never feed them cow’s milk or bread.

Create a hedgehog highway - hedgehogs travel far and wide to find food at night, but fences and walls are so secure it can reduce the areas they have to forage so to help you could create a hedgehog highway by creating gaps in our fencing to let them pass through. You can buy a special hedgehog highway gate from the RSPCA shop.

Build a hedgehog habitat - Hedgehogs need nests to hibernate over the winter months but they can struggle to find somewhere suitable so a hedgehog house could be the ideal place for them to call home. Place it somewhere quiet and sheltered, on dry ground, cover with leaves and put some dry leaves inside to create a bed. Pick up a hedgehog house at the RSPCA shop - it will keep your hog friend safe from dogs and badgers.

Check leaf piles - Piles of leaves or wood are attractive nesting spots for wildlife, especially hedgehogs. Please check for any hidden animals which may be difficult to see and move the bonfire before setting light to ensure no animals are hibernating there.

Sick or injured hedgehog - If you find a sick or injured hedgehog, then the quicker they get help the better. Please wear thick gloves and carefully pick them up and place them in a secure box with air holes and take them to your local vet. We have a video guide on how to safely pick up a small wild animal online.