Earlier this year Sarah Ozanne and Lucy Ogier (Animal Care Assistants at the GSPCA) organised a competition to increase awareness of Hedgehogs in Guernsey.
There were two classes - creating a 'Hedgehog Awareness Poster' and 'Build a Hedgehog House'.
We were amazed by the response and had some fantastic entries.
On Friday we saw the close of our Hedgehog Awareness Competition entries close and we have had so many fantastic posters and photos of hedgehog homes.
The team will be short listing the finalists this week but every day the GSPCA have been seeing sick, injured and young hedgehogs.
From strimmer injuries to hoglets (baby hedgehogs) found with no mother the GSPCA have been experiencing a busy Spring with hedgehogs as well as other species.
On Monday starts Hedgehog Week and to kick off the awareness week the GSPCA have launched two competitions for those aged between 4 and 16 years of age.
With 200 to 300 hedgehogs rescued every year at the GSPCA we see all ages with a variety of health problems.
Sarah Ozanne Animal Care Assistant in the Hedgehog Unit said 'With Spring we see hedgehogs awake and starting to give birth.'
Despite the cold snap some of our wildlife and animals have continued to produce young here in Guernsey.
Only yesterday we were called to rescue two young pigeons which are now safe and warm in an Intensive Care Unit which was thanks to the Channel Island Christmas Lottery last year.
Also in the last month we have had two tortie and white kittens who have been called Sparkle and Glitter (we currently have a waiting list for homes looking for kittens) and a duckling which has been called Quack Quack.
We were pleased to see a very fat and reasonably healthy Bella the Hedgehog recently here at the GSPCA.
Bella who was rescued as a Hoglet only days old in early Summer this year and required hand rearing was released back to the wild in August as a young adult Hedgehog.
The address where she was released have regularly seen her popping back for food and recently they noticed her covered in a large number of ticks so they managed to catch her and bring back to the GSPCA Animal Shelter in St Andrews for treatment.
With 73 hedgehogs at the GSPCA Animal Shelter and many more with volunteers and in foster homes the GSPCA are reminding everyone what to do if you find a hedgehog this winter.
Nearly everyday at least one hedgehog is brought into the GSPCA Animal Shelter either sick or injured.
Annabelle Janes Animal Care Assistant said 'We have so many hedgehogs at the moment it feels like we have herds of them.'
Last night the GSPCA had a young hedgehog that if had been left to fend for himself he surely wouldn't of made it through the winter.
Hedgehogs would normally be hibernating at this time of year, but due to the mild Autumn and late litters of hoglets many hedgehogs are still awake and many not large enough to sleep through the winter.
In Guernsey one of our largest land mammals is the hedgehog and this is the time of year which is crucial for them before they go into hibernation.
For keen gardeners encouraging hedgehogs into your garden can help control the snail and slug population as well as other insect life.
To attract hedgehogs to your garden you can try providing hedgehog homes, both natural man-made such as placing a piece of board against a pile of bricks to form a type of bivouac. Alternatively if you pop to the Animal Shelter we have a selection on sale which are purpose built.
The GSPCA starts this spring on a good foot after a kind donation from the Friends of Wildlife.
£500 was donated earlier this year and the GSPCA has used the funds to put up two soft release runs for the wildlife that we have in our care. The outside pens will be used to rehabilitate the many wild animals and birds it has brought in that are found sick or injured around Guernsey.
After they are cared for, healthy and of a good weight the animals are placed in the mesh runs to get use to the elements so it is not a shock when they are finally released.
