Animal hospital in the Harborough district has been overwhelmed with hedgehogs - and now it needs your help to save them

A top Harborough district animal hospital has issued an urgent Christmas SOS for help after taking in a record 300 hedgehogs.
Leicestershire Wildlife Hospital at Kibworth Beauchamp is battling to cope after being overwhelmed by a flood of hedgehogs.Leicestershire Wildlife Hospital at Kibworth Beauchamp is battling to cope after being overwhelmed by a flood of hedgehogs.
Leicestershire Wildlife Hospital at Kibworth Beauchamp is battling to cope after being overwhelmed by a flood of hedgehogs.

Leicestershire Wildlife Hospital at Kibworth Beauchamp is battling to cope after being overwhelmed by a flood of the tiny creatures.

Team leader Harriet Childs said they were appealing for everything from newspapers to dog food as they fight to save their frail prickly patients.

Harriet told the Harborough Mail: “We’re looking after over 300 hedgehogs!

Leicestershire Wildlife Hospital at Kibworth Beauchamp is battling to cope after being overwhelmed by a flood of hedgehogs.Leicestershire Wildlife Hospital at Kibworth Beauchamp is battling to cope after being overwhelmed by a flood of hedgehogs.
Leicestershire Wildlife Hospital at Kibworth Beauchamp is battling to cope after being overwhelmed by a flood of hedgehogs.

“It’s a record for us because we’ve never had this many before.

“We had about 200 last Christmas so numbers have shot through the roof.”

She said most were “underweight juveniles”.

“Some of them are so tiny.

“The smallest we’ve saved was under 100gms when they should be at least 600gms to be able to hibernate,” said Harriet.

“They won’t survive if they do try to hibernate because they’re not big enough or strong enough.

“They’ve usually been brought in by people who’ve rescued them while out walking – or maybe found them in their gardens.

“These babies might have been abandoned by their mums who have gone into hibernation.

“Or they might have just wandered off and got cut off from the family.”

The dedicated animal-lover said the hedgehogs were under six months old.

“Many have been born very late at the end of October and even into November.

“We haven’t really got the distinct seasons any more and it’s not been too cold.

“So babies are being born far later than they should be,” said Harriet, who’s also caring for about 80 birds, including geese, swans, sparrowhawks, buzzards and owls.

“We’re hand-feeding our hedgehogs through specially-adapted syringes with a special puppy milk to build them up.

“It takes ages to feed them up to six times a day.

“We’ll be feeding them and keeping them alive on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and over the holiday as usual.

“We’ve got a brilliant team of volunteers who come in to back us up so we always get there.”

She spelled out how the public can do their bit to save this iconic but threatened British countryside favourite.

“We are using an amazing 400 newspapers a day for bedding for the hedgehogs and other animals.

“So please bring along any papers, heavy duty black bags and washing-up liquid,” said Harriet.

“We’d also like dog food but it’s got to be the loaf type – no gravy or fish.

“Local people do a magnificent job supporting us.

“We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone this Christmas for all that you do for us.”

If you would like to support Leicestershire Wildlife Hospital you’ll find them at the rear of Birds Barn on Fleckney Road outside Kibworth.

You can find out more about the top-notch work they do on their website: http://www.leicesterwildlifehospital.org/contact/

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