A WILDLIFE rescue centre in North Yorkshire is coping with increasing numbers of sick and struggling baby hedgehogs as the weather turns colder.

Annette Pyrah runs The Wildlife Orphanage and hedgehog hospital in Barlby near Selby, and is seeing a steady flow of tiny hoglets who need her help.

Worried members of the public have found the animals locally and taken them to Annette for care and attention.

Annette said: “They are coming in left, right and centre.

"We are seeing a slightly higher frequency of hedgehogs coming in, but it’s their weight that is a real problem.”

Because of this year’s mild summer and autumn many female hedgehogs have had litters late in the year, so the hoglets born then are now still too small to survive their winter hibernation and are being spotted out and about searching for food as they desperately try to put on weight.

The hedgehogs need large fat reserves to get through winter, but as the weather gets colder food sources are drying up.

A late spring next year would mean hibernation last longer, upping the danger for under-nourished animals, she added.

York Press:

“I had one arrive at just 150g, but they need to be around 650g to get through hibernation.

“If they are born in November, they haven’t got the time or the food sources available to put on the fat reserves they need to get through the long hibernation.”

Advice for anyone finding a small hedgehog is:

  • put on gloves and pick it up
  • place it a deep sided box with some form of heat
  • call the British Hedgehog Preservation Society on 01584 890801, Annette Pyrah on 07711 883072 or visit www.wildlifeorphans.co.uk