What should you do if you have found a hedgehog?
The answer to this depends on where you found it, when you found it and what it is doing when you find it!
Q: I’ve seen a hedgehog out in the day, what should I do?
A: Unless a hedgehog has been disturbed by something, they generally don’t come out in the day time. Watch it for a few minutes, does it seem a good size? Does it seem injured or lethargic? If you are still concerned about it, scroll down the page to find the “rescuing a hedgehog” section.
Q: I’ve found a hedgehog asleep on the pavement/my lawn, is that normal?
A: No, a healthy sleepy hedgehog will find somewhere safe to nap and won’t sleep out in the open. Scroll down the page to find the “rescuing a hedgehog” section.
Q: It’s night time and there is a hedgehog in my garden, what should I do?
A: Rejoice! But then watch it. If it is autumn or winter, does it look like it could be underweight? Does it look injured? If so, scroll down the page to find the “rescuing a hedgehog” section. If it is spring or summer, watch it to make sure it’s healthy and happy, and then celebrate that you have hedgehogs! Set to work on making sure your garden is safe for the hedgehogs, and that they can get in and out again – see this post for more ideas. If you have pet dogs, check the garden before letting them outside at night or take them out on their lead. If you have a pet cat, consider keeping them indoors from dusk until dawn – this will protect far more wildlife than just hedgehogs, including bats, birds and moths!
Q: I’ve disturbed a hibernating hedgehog, what should I do?
A: A hibernating hedgehog uses a lot of important energy to wake up, so if you have accidentally disturbed one quietly cover it back up again and step away. You may leave a shallow bowl of water and perhaps some food nearby, so if it does wake up fully it can refuel easily before going back to sleep again.
Q: I’ve disturbed a hedgehog nest and there are babies, what shoud I do?
A: Carefully cover the nest back up again, avoid touching the babies. Step away (as far as possible, perhaps watch from a window in the house or use a trail camera) to check the mother returns for the babies. If she does not, they will need your help. If she does, try to avoid going near the nest and perhaps consider leaving a shallow bowl of water and some food nearby for them. Don’t be surprised if the mother finds a new nest and moves the babies though, if she feels they are not safe she will move them.
Q: I’ve found a hedgehog hibernating in a really awkward place, can I move it?
A: No, you really should just leave it alone while it hibernates.
Rescuing a Hedgehog
In autumn hedgehogs are looking to hibernate, but they need to have built up enough reserves of fat to be able to survive the winter. The ideal weight for a hedgehog about to hibernate is around 600g, so if you have found a hedgehog weighing less than this when it starts to get colder, you should contact a rescue for advice.
In BS16 we are very lucky to have several people in our area to contact for help, some of which are below (if you know of any others please contact me so I can add them!)
Hedgehog Rescue – Yate
Hedgehog Rescue – Chipping Sodbury
Bristol ARC
Severn Wildlife Rescue
Secret World Wildlife Rescue
Whether your hedgehog needs help or not, don’t forget to record your sighting! Records are really important so we can see where hedgehogs are thriving and where they may need extra help, and also so we can make estimates on how many hedgehogs we might have left! You can record your sighting in many ways, including:
Bristol Regional Environmental Records Centre (or your local centre if you are not in the Bristol area)
Hedgehog Street Big Hedgehog Map
Mammal Society Mammal Mapper (app)
Written with help from:
Tiggywinkles
The British Hedgehog Preservation Society
The RSPB
Next time: How else can you help hedgehogs?
Main image credit: BangorArt (2014) Garden hedgehog, Bangor, Northern Ireland. In: Flickr. Available from: https://flic.kr/p/Hx7F3X [Accessed 09 March 2021].
Student Ecologist - Bristol 