Lockdown sees rush of hedgehogs to rescue - despite hibernation

A hedgehog rescuer was hoping the hibernation season would give her a break.

But people's desire for the great outdoors during Covid restrictions has put paid to that.

For Mirian Grimes, who runs Hedgehog Haven in North Walsham, currently has 61 animals in care which have been found by thoughtful residents during lockdown gardening and walking.

Winter time is usually Ms Grimes' quiet period as most hedgehogs are hibernating.

However her most recent rescue happened only last week, with the workload increased due to limitations on household mixing meaning she cannot have any helpers.

During the first lockdown, Ms Grimes was urging the public to call other rescue centres as she was inundated with hedgehogs, receiving a call every day from someone who had found one.

She said: "I'm finding lockdown hard because with so many hogs in care I cannot have any volunteers in to help clean out in the mornings, I usually start at 7am and don't get finished until lunch time.

"It's been busy with 61 in care at the moment, it has eased down since the first lockdown, this time of year it does ease down because most are hibernating.

"This time of year it is usually that bit quieter, but I've already had a couple this year, I'm definitely still busy.

"The last lockdown came in spring when they were all emerging from hibernation and everyone was finding them, but now the bigger ones are hibernating so it is a bit quieter.

"The ones you'll see now are ones that have been born later in the year, how they survive this long I'll never know, and they come in really small so they're obviously from second litters which they've had later in the year due to the cold.

"These hedgehogs are more in danger as if they're small and we get these really cold days and they go into hibernation, they won't wake up because they haven't got enough body fat on them."

One of the current residents at Hedgehog Haven is Twiggy, who was found entwined in garden wire, without Ms Grimes' intervention she would not have survived.

Following a dash to the vets the wire was all removed and she has made a complete recovery, Ms Grimes will release her in the spring.

To find out more about the work of Hedgehog Haven visit the Facebook page.