We hope that everyone is safe and well and enjoying our weekly hedgehog updates. It’s been an eventful week, some admissions and a very happy release for a litter of three, that I had reared from babies. They arrived here because they were orphaned and we don’t know to his day what has happened to mum. Very small and their eyes closed they needed to stay in a very warm vivarium together, these tinies take a lot of care and attention but it’s very worthwhile!

Please put the British Hedgehog Preservation Society number in your phone book 01584 890801.

Can I take this opportunity to thank Marian who saves all her newspapers, pops them in a carrier bag so neatly for me to use on the bigger hoggies when they are well enough to build nests, we are very grateful.

On a more serious note, Lorraine called around and brought a lovely big boy who was discovered crying out in a garden close to Vane Road School, he had been tangled up in some wire which caused an injury which broke the skin, of course flies also became a problem, laying eggs that hatch into maggots which is also quite a horrendously slow and painful way to die. Nevertheless, myself and Lorraine worked together to stabilise his painful condition with a suction machine I have here to get rid of the fly strike and some antiseptic spray to ease his suffering, it was 9.30pm and the vets were closed but we eased his discomfort. The vets admitted him Wednesday morning through till Saturday when he was brought back here to complete antibiotic treatment. We have called him Claude, he is doing well and can go home soon. May I mention that we, as rehabbers, work closely with very reliable and supportive Vets who support us for just such emergencies but what we need is our readers help to get these poor hedgehogs to us quickly, it makes the difference between life and death.

Our work never stops even through the winter, we have these in Rescue all year round, of course fundraising never stops, friends and neighbours have helped us so much with things to sell on our car boot stall. Thank you all.

Weekly tip: Please don’t give bread, milk, meal worms and nuts to our prickly pals.