WILD HEDGEHOGS ARE AN ENDANGERED SPECIES IN THE UK WITH THEIR NUMBERS BEING REDUCED DRASTICALLY IN RECENT YEARS. MODERN FARMING METHODS OFTEN RESULT IN THEIR NATURAL HABITAT BEING DESTROYED, FORCING THEM MORE AND MORE INTO URBAN AREAS WHERE THEY ARE AT RISK MAINLY FROM THE MOTOR CAR. HOWEVER, IF THEY MANAGE TO SURVIVE CROSSING THE ROAD THEY THEN HAVE TO CONTEND WITH THE GARDENER WHOSE FRIEND THEY REALLY ARE. HEDGEHOGS LOVE TO FEAST ON ALL THOSE LITTLE PESTS THE GARDENER HATES BUT IF THE GARDENER PUTS DOWN SLUG PELLETS THEY CAN ALSO KILL THE HEDGEHOG WHEN HE EATS THE SLUGS. THEN THERE IS THE STRIMMER, WHICH CAN INFLICT TERRIBLE INJURIES ON A HEDGEHOG SLEEPING UNDER BORDER PLANTS. BONFIRES CAN BE ANOTHER BIG KILLER OF HIBERNATING HEDGEHOGS.
THE DORSET HEDGEHOG HOSPITAL AND ITS MANY LITTLE PATENTS, RELY ENTIRELY ON THE GENEROSITY OF BUSINESSES AND THE PUBLIC TO ENABLE THE SICK OR INJURED ADULT AND BABY HEDGEHOGS TO HAVE THE CARE AND TREATMENT THEY NEED TO RECOVER. CRASH IS A REGISTERED CHARITY FINANCED ONLY BY DONATIONS, AND VARIOUS FUND RAISING EVENTS. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A DONATION THEN PLEASE GO TO OUR DONATIONS PAGE WHERE THE VARIOUS OPTIONS ARE EXPLAINED.
Registered U.K. Charity No.: 1059488
Angela Squires, founder of CRASH, gave up her career several years ago to devote virtually all her time to the sick and injured hedgehogs, which people were bringing her to nurse back to health.
Angela's aim is to get her little patients well enough to return to the wild but where their injuries leave them disabled and vulnerable, she entrusts them to foster homes with secure gardens where they can live out their lives without any fear from predators.
All this is done on a voluntary basis, CRASH is now a Registered Charity, which enables Angela to make better use of the donations received from companies, organisations and generous members of the public.
ARE HEDGEHOGS INTELLIGENT? Basically the answer is NO. Although, it does depend on what you mean by intelligent. Certainly they do not seem to have the powers of reasoning and can not be expected to solve problems etc. If a hedgehog does manage to overcome a particular difficulty it is probably the result of trial and error but the solution is unlikely to be learned, remembered and used again. On the other hand, they do seem to have a reasonably good memory for places and will often find their way back to certain places even after they have been
From a painting by David Feather
Please contact BHPS British Hedgehog Preservation Society. for details of your nearest carers/rescue centres 01584 890801
Please note: CRASH operates a strict NO VISITORS rule at the hedgehog hospital because space is extremely limited and we try to restrict the hedgehogs contact with humans so that they retain their natural wild nature, which they will need, if they are going to stand any chance of surviving, when they are eventually returned to that big, hostile, outside world.
When injuries leave a hedgehog disabled to the extent it could not easily survive in the wild, we release them to foster homes with secure gardens where they can enjoy the rest of their lives in peace being pampered a little. All they need is a nightly feeding of dog food and provision of suitable hibernation facilities through the winter. You will be rewarded by having all those nasty garden pests like slugs and snails, eaten by your little guest.
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