Hedgehog Excitement
It has been an exciting week at DMS this week, especially for those in 5CWT, Mrs Whiting’s class.
Last Sunday, Mrs Whiting’s daughter came hurtling through their front door at home. She had found a baby hedgehog whilst out on her bike and almost ran over it. Mrs Whiting grabbed a pair of thick gloves and went off with her daughter to rescue the little critter. On returning home, Mrs Whiting weighed the hedgehog and it was only 113gs (Hedgehogs need to be at least 500g to safely hibernate). If this little hog was left outside to look after itself, it would not have survived.
Mrs Whiting and her daughter took the Hog to ‘Prickly Prickles Rescue Centre’ which is in Dorchester, not too far from our school. The lady who runs Prickly Prickles said that the Hog was in fact a little girl and called her Bee. Bee was severely underweight and dehydrated, so was monitored very closely over night,
Monday morning came and Mrs Whiting told her class of the exciting thing that happened to her on Sunday. 5CWT were intrigued.
Wednesday morning, before school, Miss Easton was leaving the PD Base to go out on duty in the Year 5 playground, when Ms Lawson approached her, with a coat all bundled in front of her. Ms Lawson said she had seen a little Hedgehog out on the Basketball courts being bullied and pecked at by a pair of Magpies. She had picked the Hog up in her lovely fluffy black coat and was carrying it with her.
Miss Easton went and found a box to put the hog in and they filled it with paper shredding to help keep it warm. Miss Easton found Mrs Whiting and together they weighed the hedgehog, this little hog was heavier than Bee at 250g, but still very underweight. Miss Easton had rung the rescue centre and told them she would be over soon to drop it off. Miss Easton and Mrs Whiting had to show 5CWT the little creature, as they were so interested in Bee. The children’s faces were a picture, it was so lovely to see. The class asked that, if it was a girl could it be called Honey and if it was a boy, Buzz as both those names go nicely with Bee.
After Miss Easton took the hog to the rescue centre, she heard from the lady that the school's hedgehog was in fact another little girl, Honey! The lovely lady at the hedgehog rescue will be keeping us updated with the progress of both Bee and Honey. You can see Bee enjoying some puppy mousse in the pictures.
And that is where we thought the adventures of Mrs Whiting and 5CWT would end… we were wrong…
On Friday night Mrs Whiting’s son was on his way home and he found a tiny little hedgehog who weighed in at 150g so needed rescuing. Mrs Whiting kept it warm and safe overnight and on Saturday took it to Prickly Prickles. This little hog is another girl and will be going into the same rescue pod as Bee. Her name is Bumble.
Watch this space for more updates on Bee, Honey and Bumble!!
What should you do if you find a hedgehog?
Hedgehogs are nocturnal, which means they only come out at night. So a hedgehog seen in the daytime usually means that something is wrong and it might need help. Have a look at the information below to see how and when you should help a hedgehog out.
When to help a hedgehog:
If their eyes are open and they're not in immediate danger, monitor from a distance. If you're concerned, you can try offering food and fresh water.
Only intervene straight away if you find a baby hedgehog:
in immediate danger (such as on a road or being pecked at by birds)
with their eyes closed and alone (or the mother has been killed)
that weighs less than 300 grams (they won't have sufficient fat reserves to survive the cold months).
What do baby hedgehogs eat:
You can try offering food to a baby hedgehog, but make sure what you feed them is suitable.
Tinned dog or cat food (not fish-based) and crushed dog or cat biscuits make good hedgehog foods. Specialist hedgehog foods can also be bought from wildlife food suppliers.
Never give cow's milk to hedgehogs as it can give them diarrhoea.
If the hoglet eats the food then it's probably weaned and should be able to survive. In this case please continue to provide food and fresh water and monitor for 24 hours.
If the hoglet doesn't eat the food or, after monitoring, it does not leave the area please take it to your nearest wildlife rehabilitator.
When to care for a baby hedgehog:
Hedgehogs born late in the season won't have sufficient fat reserves to survive hibernation.
If you find an orphaned hedgehog weighing between 300 and 500 grams between mid October and late February, you can help them survive by providing food to get them up to a healthy weight (usually between 550 and 680).
Useful Hedgehog Information https://www.rspca.org.uk/documents/1494939/7712578/Caring+for+autumn+juvenile+hedgehogs+%28PDF+416KB%29.pdf/3ba8a01f-9766-44fc-24d9-9b512c42563c?t=1559127989089&download=true
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