The 3rd May sees the start of Hedgehog Awareness Week 2020.Hedgehogs are in serious decline, and every year East Sussex Wildlife Rescue & Ambulance Service (WRAS) deals with more and more. In 2019 WRAS dealt with over 620 hedgehogs. They are admitted after being attacked by dogs, hit by cars, falling into ponds, being stuck down drains, injured by strimmers, caught on garden forks or sliced by spades and even entangled in netting. Every autumn WRAS sees an influx in hedgehogs especially if mild, as mums continue to give birth into the winter and then abandon their young which are too small to hibernate. They also suffer from severe internal and external parasite burdens.
Hedgehogs main diet is insect, caterpillars and fruit, but their diet is quite varied depending on what is available. Slugs and snails are actually only a very small part of their diet and can pass on parasites to hedgehogs.
One of the key reason hedgehogs are declining is their inability to move around. Entire families can be wiped out when people change their garden fencing stopping hedgehogs from being able to roam around and find partners or enough suitable food.
Normally during Hedgehog Awareness Week we would organise something educational but due to the Coronavirus Restrictions this hasn’t been possible.
So this year we are doing something fun. We want you to make a Hedgehog Style Cake and enter our Competition!
Entry is just £2.50 and we need a photo of your cake! At the end of the week we will run a public vote on Facebook to choose the best cake from a shortlist. The most likes will be the winner.
Full details of how to enter are on our website www.wildlifeambulance.org.
Once you have made your cake, make a donation of £2.50 via the donate button on our facebook page or link on our website. Then send us your picture via a direct message on our Facebook page or e-mail via our website, letting us know the name of the person making the £2.50 donation or we won’t know you have paid. Our facebook page can be found at: www.facebook.com/wildlifeambulance
Keep an eye on our Facebook page throughout Hedgehog Awareness Week as we will be posting hedgehog information throughout the week too.
Completition closes on Friday 8th May 3pm.
The judging will take place over the weekend of 9th/10th May on our facebook page. Judging closes at around 11am on Monday 11th May where the likes will be counted. The winner will received a small hedgehog related prize.
VIDEOS:
Hedgehog Rescued from Drain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMPZiHVjgQ0&t=120s
Hedgehog caught in plastic Beer Can Holder: https://youtu.be/FcTTMikY6_c
Mum and Baby Hedgehogs being weighed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyU4xANSuUI
Trevor Weeks MBE
Founder & Operations Director
East Sussex Wildlife Rescue & Ambulance Service (WRAS)
Reg Charity 1108880
Office: 01825-873003
24Hr Rescue Line: 07815-078234
Trevor’s Private Mobile: 07494-126280
Address:
Unit 8 The Shaw Barn, Whitesmith, East Sussex, BN8 6JD.
