JULY looks set to be ‘hectic hedgehog’ month for the RSPCA after calls about the prickly creatures peaked during this time last year.

From a total of 10,644 calls about hedgehogs made to the RSPCA’s national helpline throughout 2018, the number of calls spiked in July at 1,867. Calls from Yorkshire and the Humber totalled 1,011 in 2018, 191 of which were made in July.

Last year, an average of 5.7 hedgehogs per day were admitted to one of the charity’s four specialist wildlife centres, but in the peak month of July, this rose to an average of 12.4 per day, or one every two hours.

RSPCA wildlife scientific officer Evie Button said: “We receive more calls about hedgehogs than about almost any other wild animal.

“With a total of 10,644 calls taken last year, averaged out, we get a call every hour of every day relating to these iconic animals.

“July is our busiest month for hedgehogs. Not only do calls about hedgehogs peak, but so do admissions to our four wildlife centres as members of the public and our own officers bring in orphaned, sick or injured animals for treatment and rehabilitation.”