Since the start of 2017 the GSPCA have helped over 320 hedgehogs making it one of the busiest years on record with 4 months still to go.
Last night the latest baby hedgehog which was named Pins was found gasping and very thin and has spent the night in an intensive care unit with special food and care.
During the Summer at one point we had over 130 hedgehogs meaning the most hedgehogs we have ever had at one time in our care.
Hedgehogs are brought in from all over Guernsey nearly every day of the year with injuries from those from gardening tools to those found in water ways.
With the mild winters we have in Guernsey hedgehogs seem to rarely hibernate for long if at all and each year we help between 300-400 hedgehogs.
We always strive where possible and where it is safe to do so to release hedgehogs and other wild animals and birds that are rescued back to where they were found.
When the hedgehogs are ready to go back to the wild we microchip them and have microchipped in excess of 1000 hedgehogs since starting to do.
Each month we now see between 10% and 20% of the hedgehogs we that come into our care that we have previously are microchipped.
Last month we had a poorly hedgehog returned to us called Foxy that had been rescued two years previously only hundreds of yards where it had been released back to the wild in St Peter Port near the Odeon Car Park.
Taking the statistic we have which seem to be a regular pattern it could be guesstimated that we have a conservative population in excess of 4,000 hedgehogs in Guernsey.
Steve Byrne GSPCA Manager said “At the GSPCA we strive to do our best for all of the 2000+ wild animals and birds we help each year and with hedgehogs being the species we rescue the most."
“Spring and Summer have been extremely busy this year with many young hoglets been rescued and also born at the GSPCA."
"The baby hedgehogs are still coming as Pins a young hoglet was rescued thin and gasping last night."
"2017 has been extremely busy with all sorts of animals needing our help at the GSPCA with hedgehogs certainly taking the lead in numbers for one species."
“If anyone finds or spots an injured hedgehog please do give us a call at the GSPCA on 257261, the Shelter is manned 24/7 and we always have someone at the end of a phone manning an animal ambulance.”
In the UK mainland hedgehogs have faced huge challenges in recent years and seen a decline in many parts of the country.
The story in Guernsey is uncertain as no studies have been undertaken but the GSPCA are in talks with universities to see if professional research can be carried out here in the Channel islands to determine the situation.
With just over 80 hedgehogs in our care we are very busy at the GSPCA. Hedgehogs face a number of challenges from strimmers and lawnmowers to finding enough food and water with winter fast approaching. Garden and sports nets also cause many injuries as to douits and water features without an escape platform.
If you would like to volunteer at the GSPCA to help the hedgehogs or other animals in our care we have an upcoming induction on Thursday 7th September at 630pm with details here - http://gspca.org.gg/about/volunteers
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