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Hedgehog Cabin

@HedgehogCabin39,339 subscribers

I operate a small hospital for sick, injured and orphaned wild hedgehogs. Donate https://t.co/wUQRQfPo5i Wishlist https://t.co/4UZ0T2FlAL Ambassador: @DrAmirKhanGP

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Some kind organisations are posting messages urging people to leave out water for our precious wildlife in this hot dry weather, which is brilliant, thank you. But this rumour doing the rounds that hedgehog mums abandon their nursing babies is utter nonsense. Hedgehog mums are the most patient, loving parents you can imagine. They are tightly bonded and would NEVER willingly abandon their babies. But they die. They die because lactation places a massive continuous drain on a mother's water reserves. If she is deprived of water, her body is forced to pull from its own tissues and blood supply to maintain milk production, resulting in rapid blood volume depletion and thickening of the blood. Producing milk requires a massive amount of calories and water. If resources are scarce, the mother's body goes into a negative energy balance, which drastically accelerates the depletion of her internal reserves. But they stay with their babies, protecting them, loving them, literally giving them their last drop of life. The starving dehydrated babies eventually stagger out of the maternity nest, instinctively seeking sustenance. By the time they are found by humans they are so near death and their dehydration so extreme that only subcutaneous fluids from an experienced rescue can save them. All this heartbreak and tragedy can be avoided, and rescues freed from bed-blocking babies, if only everyone simply puts out a dish of water. Right now. And tonight. Front and back. Under cover in the shade, if possible. A turn of the tap can save so many lives.❤️

Some kind organisations are posting messages urging people to leave out water for our precious wildlife in this hot dry weather, which is brilliant, thank you. But this rumour doing the rounds that hedgehog mums abandon their nursing babies is utter nonsense. Hedgehog mums are the most patient, loving parents you can imagine. They are tightly bonded and would NEVER willingly abandon their babies. But they die. They die because lactation places a massive continuous drain on a mother's water reserves. If she is deprived of water, her body is forced to pull from its own tissues and blood supply to maintain milk production, resulting in rapid blood volume depletion and thickening of the blood. Producing milk requires a massive amount of calories and water. If resources are scarce, the mother's body goes into a negative energy balance, which drastically accelerates the depletion of her internal reserves. But they stay with their babies, protecting them, loving them, literally giving them their last drop of life. The starving dehydrated babies eventually stagger out of the maternity nest, instinctively seeking sustenance. By the time they are found by humans they are so near death and their dehydration so extreme that only subcutaneous fluids from an experienced rescue can save them. All this heartbreak and tragedy can be avoided, and rescues freed from bed-blocking babies, if only everyone simply puts out a dish of water. Right now. And tonight. Front and back. Under cover in the shade, if possible. A turn of the tap can save so many lives.❤️

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Just to start the weekend off on a joyful note, just look what a week in care has done for that dying starved little skin and bones baby, Ryder. Not only is he alive, engaged, happy and having a fun time, he has the sweetest little rounded belly.😍 If you'd like to help with his treatment at Prickle Lodge - Hedgehog Rescue , here are their Amazon wishlist and donation details: Wishlist: PayPal: Thank you so much. Happy weekend! Ryder's history:

Just to start the weekend off on a joyful note, just look what a week in care has done for that dying starved little skin and bones baby, Ryder. Not only is he alive, engaged, happy and having a fun time, he has the sweetest little rounded belly.😍 If you'd like to help with his treatment at Prickle Lodge - Hedgehog Rescue , here are their Amazon wishlist and donation details: Wishlist: PayPal: Thank you so much. Happy weekend! Ryder's history:

194,181 просмотров

The night temperatures are predicted to drop below freezing this week, and while most hedgehogs are safely hibernating, many are not. Those born too late and still underweight, and those who are a little sickly, are still around, desperately searching for a kind garden that provides dry kitten food and ice-free water all winter. Please let that be you.

The night temperatures are predicted to drop below freezing this week, and while most hedgehogs are safely hibernating, many are not. Those born too late and still underweight, and those who are a little sickly, are still around, desperately searching for a kind garden that provides dry kitten food and ice-free water all winter. Please let that be you.

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Fireworks. Just don't. Please. It's so cruel. Stress kills wildlife. Please choose, and teach your children, kindness. We have so many ways of entertaining ourselves which don't involve the suffering and death of animals. 🔊

Fireworks. Just don't. Please. It's so cruel. Stress kills wildlife. Please choose, and teach your children, kindness. We have so many ways of entertaining ourselves which don't involve the suffering and death of animals. 🔊

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Sound on 🔊 When a baby nurses, microscopic amounts of saliva flow back into the breast. That saliva carries biological signals about the infant’s immune system. If the baby is getting sick, the mother’s body detects it. Within hours, the milk changes. White blood cells surge. Macrophages multiply. Targeted antibodies appear. Miraculous, isn't it? This is why mother's milk is so critical. It's not just the bonding, or the colostrum. Or that it's exceptionally high in immunoglobulins, white blood cells, proteins and essential vitamins, serving as a crucial "natural vaccination" that protects the newborn's immature digestive system and boosts immunity. It can actually make sick babies well. We, with all our scientific know-how, can't do this. So it's critical that babies and mum stay together. Under the shed is this century's hedgerow. We've destroyed the hedgehog's natural habitat so these clever, adaptable little animals, these survival specialists, have learnt to use our spaces. Under a shed the temperature stays more or less constant. It's dry, protected, inaccessible to predators, and completely undisturbed. The perfect nesting spot. Right now, these spaces are being used by hibernating hedgehogs. And from the end of April they will start being used by mums and their newborns. So if you are planning on removing or replacing an old shed this year PLEASE, I beg you, remember this is a precious space. Plan your renovations in the small relatively safe windows of the first 3 weeks of April, or the month of September. This kind consideration on your part will help these gentle, endangered animals to thrive, and produce a strong and healthy new generation.

Sound on 🔊 When a baby nurses, microscopic amounts of saliva flow back into the breast. That saliva carries biological signals about the infant’s immune system. If the baby is getting sick, the mother’s body detects it. Within hours, the milk changes. White blood cells surge. Macrophages multiply. Targeted antibodies appear. Miraculous, isn't it? This is why mother's milk is so critical. It's not just the bonding, or the colostrum. Or that it's exceptionally high in immunoglobulins, white blood cells, proteins and essential vitamins, serving as a crucial "natural vaccination" that protects the newborn's immature digestive system and boosts immunity. It can actually make sick babies well. We, with all our scientific know-how, can't do this. So it's critical that babies and mum stay together. Under the shed is this century's hedgerow. We've destroyed the hedgehog's natural habitat so these clever, adaptable little animals, these survival specialists, have learnt to use our spaces. Under a shed the temperature stays more or less constant. It's dry, protected, inaccessible to predators, and completely undisturbed. The perfect nesting spot. Right now, these spaces are being used by hibernating hedgehogs. And from the end of April they will start being used by mums and their newborns. So if you are planning on removing or replacing an old shed this year PLEASE, I beg you, remember this is a precious space. Plan your renovations in the small relatively safe windows of the first 3 weeks of April, or the month of September. This kind consideration on your part will help these gentle, endangered animals to thrive, and produce a strong and healthy new generation.

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Hedgehogs are up! They're about, desperately looking for food. They may visit your garden tonight. They're weak, hungry, cold. It's too early for them to find sufficient natural food. Please help them. Put out a dish of dry cat food and a dish of water. You'll save lives.

Hedgehogs are up! They're about, desperately looking for food. They may visit your garden tonight. They're weak, hungry, cold. It's too early for them to find sufficient natural food. Please help them. Put out a dish of dry cat food and a dish of water. You'll save lives.

103,958 просмотров

With so much in the world to make you angry and upset, it's worth remembering that most people are good and kind, and are quietly going about their day performing unsung acts of heroism and generosity of spirit. Thank you to everyone who is feeding their visiting wildlife, and to those supporting and encouraging them. And I can never thank enough those who support me and the hospital here, by kind word or deed, and by providing supplies and help towards the costs of medicines, etc. You are all incredible, wonderful people, and I hope you feel proud of yourselves.❤️ Those with notes are from Sue & Ray H, Miss Le Roy, Gordon & Marcelle, Jane R, Hannah O, Heather C, Wendy B, Gary J, Rhian J, Emma L, Teia L. May your day start as happily as Figgy's.

With so much in the world to make you angry and upset, it's worth remembering that most people are good and kind, and are quietly going about their day performing unsung acts of heroism and generosity of spirit. Thank you to everyone who is feeding their visiting wildlife, and to those supporting and encouraging them. And I can never thank enough those who support me and the hospital here, by kind word or deed, and by providing supplies and help towards the costs of medicines, etc. You are all incredible, wonderful people, and I hope you feel proud of yourselves.❤️ Those with notes are from Sue & Ray H, Miss Le Roy, Gordon & Marcelle, Jane R, Hannah O, Heather C, Wendy B, Gary J, Rhian J, Emma L, Teia L. May your day start as happily as Figgy's.

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One of the many myths about hedgehogs which I find particulary annoying is "hedgehogs get their name from living under hedges and grunting like a hog". This is not only utter nonsense, it's very dangerous misinformation which has caused the death of so many poor sick hedgehogs, who could otherwise have been saved. Yet I've seen this utter rubbish published on websites of organisations you'd think you could trust to get their facts right. Especially when it comes to such a precious endangered animal. Hedgehogs don't grunt. They don't snort. They don't make any sound at all. Just like us, their breathing is completely silent if they are healthy. Hedgehogs hunt for food. They certainly don't announce their presence to their prey by grunting and snorting as they approach. They are silent, and they hunt via scent and sound. They listen intently, all the time. Their hearing is so incredibly acute they can hear the scurry of insects legs under an inch of soil. Hedgehogs don't come out to hunt in the rain, not because they don't like getting wet, but because the sound of the rain drowns out the sounds of their prey, making hunting imposssible. And hedgehogs are solitary animals. Being solitary means they don't socialise with their own kind, or any other species, so they have no need for a vocabulary, or any verbal communication. The only time you are likely to hear a hedgehog making a sound is the huffing a female hedgehog makes when being courted by a male during mating season. So if you hear a hedgehog snorting or grunting, or making ANY audible breathing sounds, what you are hearing is a very sick hedgehog whose breathing is compromised and who needs urgent treatment from a rescue (never a vet). When a hedgehog is sick, particularly with lungworm, the fluid in the lungs means the air moving in and out makes a bubbling sound. And as the airways become inflamed and swollen, the flow is impeded, making the passage of air noisy. The clip below is of Arthur, recently returned from his hibernation. As you can hear, his breathing has a bubbly, creaky sound. Not too bad, as yet, but bad enough to need treatment - which is probably why he's returned, to book himself into the hospital here.🥰

One of the many myths about hedgehogs which I find particulary annoying is "hedgehogs get their name from living under hedges and grunting like a hog". This is not only utter nonsense, it's very dangerous misinformation which has caused the death of so many poor sick hedgehogs, who could otherwise have been saved. Yet I've seen this utter rubbish published on websites of organisations you'd think you could trust to get their facts right. Especially when it comes to such a precious endangered animal. Hedgehogs don't grunt. They don't snort. They don't make any sound at all. Just like us, their breathing is completely silent if they are healthy. Hedgehogs hunt for food. They certainly don't announce their presence to their prey by grunting and snorting as they approach. They are silent, and they hunt via scent and sound. They listen intently, all the time. Their hearing is so incredibly acute they can hear the scurry of insects legs under an inch of soil. Hedgehogs don't come out to hunt in the rain, not because they don't like getting wet, but because the sound of the rain drowns out the sounds of their prey, making hunting imposssible. And hedgehogs are solitary animals. Being solitary means they don't socialise with their own kind, or any other species, so they have no need for a vocabulary, or any verbal communication. The only time you are likely to hear a hedgehog making a sound is the huffing a female hedgehog makes when being courted by a male during mating season. So if you hear a hedgehog snorting or grunting, or making ANY audible breathing sounds, what you are hearing is a very sick hedgehog whose breathing is compromised and who needs urgent treatment from a rescue (never a vet). When a hedgehog is sick, particularly with lungworm, the fluid in the lungs means the air moving in and out makes a bubbling sound. And as the airways become inflamed and swollen, the flow is impeded, making the passage of air noisy. The clip below is of Arthur, recently returned from his hibernation. As you can hear, his breathing has a bubbly, creaky sound. Not too bad, as yet, but bad enough to need treatment - which is probably why he's returned, to book himself into the hospital here.🥰

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It's hard to believe, but this chubby little baby is Jip! And this sight last night brought tears to my eyes: this dear little baby doing something so completely normal and healthy - grabbing some bedding to make himself a little comfy nest in his bed. 🥹 He was so skeletal, so dehydrated, that just 6 days after admission he has almost doubled his weight. Happy Solstice everyone, I hope you all have a wonderful summer.

It's hard to believe, but this chubby little baby is Jip! And this sight last night brought tears to my eyes: this dear little baby doing something so completely normal and healthy - grabbing some bedding to make himself a little comfy nest in his bed. 🥹 He was so skeletal, so dehydrated, that just 6 days after admission he has almost doubled his weight. Happy Solstice everyone, I hope you all have a wonderful summer.

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Hedgehogs are solitary animals so are silent - they have no need to communicate so don't have a 'vocabulary'. Even when in pain or fear they usually suffer in silence. The only time you'll really hear them vocalise is this time of year - mating season. And it's only the girls who talk.😁 The male approaches the female and circles her, trying to mount. The female turns to face him, keeping her nether regions out of his reach, and makes a chuff-chuff sound, telling him she's not interested. She'll keep this up for hours, sometimes days, until she whittles down which of her suitors is the strongest, has the most endurance and energy, is the fittest and healthiest and most determined. She wants only the very best to be the father of her precious children. Only when he's proved himself to be worthy, does the female crouch down and lay her spines flat, and allow him to mate. Inexperienced males often need to use their mouth to hold on and get into position, so this time of year you may see females with a small wound on their back. There can be more than one winner, and she'll allow other males who have made the grade to mate with her also. So the resulting litter can be hoglets with several different fathers, producing a truly diverse and healthy gene pool. This genetic diversity within a population allows it to adapt to changing environments and resist diseases. Just one of the reasons our humble little hedgehog has survived for over 15 million years!

Hedgehogs are solitary animals so are silent - they have no need to communicate so don't have a 'vocabulary'. Even when in pain or fear they usually suffer in silence. The only time you'll really hear them vocalise is this time of year - mating season. And it's only the girls who talk.😁 The male approaches the female and circles her, trying to mount. The female turns to face him, keeping her nether regions out of his reach, and makes a chuff-chuff sound, telling him she's not interested. She'll keep this up for hours, sometimes days, until she whittles down which of her suitors is the strongest, has the most endurance and energy, is the fittest and healthiest and most determined. She wants only the very best to be the father of her precious children. Only when he's proved himself to be worthy, does the female crouch down and lay her spines flat, and allow him to mate. Inexperienced males often need to use their mouth to hold on and get into position, so this time of year you may see females with a small wound on their back. There can be more than one winner, and she'll allow other males who have made the grade to mate with her also. So the resulting litter can be hoglets with several different fathers, producing a truly diverse and healthy gene pool. This genetic diversity within a population allows it to adapt to changing environments and resist diseases. Just one of the reasons our humble little hedgehog has survived for over 15 million years!

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Lots of calls to the hospital now are from people who have acidentally disturbed a nest. The most important rule is immediately (and I mean immediately, every second counts so no photo taking!) put everything back as you found it and urgently call a good established rescue for advice. We're coming into the height of baby season now so this is particularly important, and could mean the difference between life and death for the babies. Pregnant hedgehogs build two or three maternity nests, in case the chosen nest becomes uninhabitable (from flooding or predators for example). This means mum can quickly move her babies without having to leave them to find bedding and build. BUT.. Moving babies isn't a cute, Disney-esque event. It's a dire emergency. It's difficult, sometimes painful, and fraught with danger and tragedy. Babies get dropped, the ones left in the new nest may wander out while mum is back getting the next one from the old nest, and mum will be suffering extreme stress. Prevention is always better than cure so please be extra careful in the garden during this baby season. Before doing anything, think hedgehog. Anything left undisturbed for long will be seen as an attractive nesting place: Beneath a shed/wendy house/decking Inside a shed Inside a compost bag/rubbish bag Under piles of rubbish/wooden palettes Under furniture/barbeque covers Taking a moment to gently check before moving could save precious little lives.

Lots of calls to the hospital now are from people who have acidentally disturbed a nest. The most important rule is immediately (and I mean immediately, every second counts so no photo taking!) put everything back as you found it and urgently call a good established rescue for advice. We're coming into the height of baby season now so this is particularly important, and could mean the difference between life and death for the babies. Pregnant hedgehogs build two or three maternity nests, in case the chosen nest becomes uninhabitable (from flooding or predators for example). This means mum can quickly move her babies without having to leave them to find bedding and build. BUT.. Moving babies isn't a cute, Disney-esque event. It's a dire emergency. It's difficult, sometimes painful, and fraught with danger and tragedy. Babies get dropped, the ones left in the new nest may wander out while mum is back getting the next one from the old nest, and mum will be suffering extreme stress. Prevention is always better than cure so please be extra careful in the garden during this baby season. Before doing anything, think hedgehog. Anything left undisturbed for long will be seen as an attractive nesting place: Beneath a shed/wendy house/decking Inside a shed Inside a compost bag/rubbish bag Under piles of rubbish/wooden palettes Under furniture/barbeque covers Taking a moment to gently check before moving could save precious little lives.

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If you really have to have fireworks, and I hope you don't - I hope you make your own new, kinder tradition for 5th November, like creating your own family home made Christmas cake together, or your own candles, or ornaments, or inviting all your friends over and telling them to bring their favourite takeaways so you can swap... But if you really have to have fireworks, please choose the low noise type, to limit the harm and suffering you will cause neighbour's pets and all the wildlife in your area.

If you really have to have fireworks, and I hope you don't - I hope you make your own new, kinder tradition for 5th November, like creating your own family home made Christmas cake together, or your own candles, or ornaments, or inviting all your friends over and telling them to bring their favourite takeaways so you can swap... But if you really have to have fireworks, please choose the low noise type, to limit the harm and suffering you will cause neighbour's pets and all the wildlife in your area.

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Videos

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A surprise visitor to my garden. It's 4.30 in the morning, the end of a hard night's foraging, and this poor badger mum is going home to her hungry cubs empty handed. Again. Badgers don't want to come into gardens. It's a massive risk to get that close to humans. This is an act of profound desperation. She tried digging for worms (which make up 80% of a badger's diet), but the prolonged drought has left the soil baked dry and barren. The hedgehog feeders were inaccessible and the cat food had all been eaten by the visiting fox family. She stay for half an hour and left as starving as she arrived. If a hedgehog had been accessible she would have risked being wounded, just to eat and feed her cubs. Badgers do NOT hunt hedgehogs, but a starving animal will eat anything to stay alive. But it's NOT natural. In fact it's no more natural than starving third world children eating mud. Or prisoners of war eating pebbles. Or victims of a mountain plane crash eating each other. These are acts of desperation. It's eat this or die. And why hedgehogs? Why not cats or fox cubs - a much safer and more satisfying meal? Simply because cats and foxes run away, hedgehogs don't. And badgers are foragers, not hunters. You don't need a degree in zoology to know that. Just your own common sense. Don't believe the perverts who enjoy hurting animals, or the callous dishonest farmers. Believe your own eyes. Just look at that low, squat body and lumbering gait: built for low-gravity stability while digging, and moving through dense undergrowth. Not for chasing down prey. Look at the small head and downward facing eyes: perfect for focusing on the ground directly in front of their nose to locate worms and insects, but giving them a very limited field of view for spotting or tracking moving animals. And take a look at those short stumpy legs: designed for power and endurance while excavating setts and turning over soil, making them incapable of the speed or agility required by true hunters. The physical traits you can see with your own eyes are the textbook definition of a specialised fossorial (digging) forager, not a predator. Because of this specific anatomy, badgers lack the biological machinery to actively hunt or target other mammals. They are overwhelmingly, scientifically, anatomically, blatantly obvious ground-level foragers. The idea that badgers systematically track or target hedgehogs is a narrative pushed by groups looking to justify culls, rather than an accurate description of badger biology. In reality, a badger's daily life revolves around patiently snuffling through the soil for worms and grubs, and any departure from this is a rare, situational event born of sheer desperation. So please remember this, next time some deviant shows you a hedgehog pelt, seeking your validation and inciting hatred towards these innocent animals.

Hedgehog Cabin

24,571 просмотров • 2 дней назад

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There was a terrible smell coming from pen number 4, in the lodge. I knew no one was living there, because nothing had moved; it was spotless still from the last clean, and the food in there had been untouched for 3 days. When I opened the house, where the terrible smell was coming from, I found Arthur. Laying on his side, dying from a severely infected wound to his head. He was lying in a puddle of stinking pus, and had been lying like that, unable to move or eat or drink for 3 days. The pain just too much for him. This darling boy who, just 3 weeks ago, had been successfully treated and rid of the lungworm which was killing him, made fit and well and shining with health and released back into the wild. This darling boy, who had made us laugh with his gentle persistent moves on the girl of his dreams. This sweet gentle boy, who had left the safety of home, led by his hormones to neighbouring gardens, where he had been casually dealt a death blow by someone strimming grass that offended their eye by growing wild and free where they demanded order and obedience. As I carried Arthur into the hospital, I swatted away flies, hungry for the smell of death on him. I've drained a massive abscess and started him on antibiotics and pain relief. I really have no idea if he can overcome this, it's just a matter of time, and waiting. I'm just so grateful (and deeply touched) that this poor boy used the last of his strength to get home, where he knew he'd be safe. Please. Don't strim.

Hedgehog Cabin

621,090 просмотров • 2 лет назад

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Despite claims to the contrary, snap rat traps don't conveniently land on the neck, killing quickly. More often than not they land on the legs, or one paw, or in baby hedgehog Odette's case, across the pelvis. It takes days for the trapped animal to die, in agony, starving, dehydrating. The will to live is strong in all animals and the trapped struggle for their lives, sometimes degloving entire paws or feet. It's a barbaric, utterly inhumane device. Little Odette (named after the crippled swan in Swan Lake), only 320g, was spotted by a lovely lady on her way to work, who called for advice. If not for this compassionate woman's swift actions this poor animal would have suffered a slow, torturous, agonising death. Once here, I saw the rat trap was not legal, the apertures were too big (the maximum for a tunnel type trap is 51cm, and this was 65cm), and my keys didn't fit so I called the company and they kindly sent someone over from Surrey. There's no sound on this camera, and my gesticulating is me telling the man to be gentle (he'd assumed the hedgehog was dead, and was shocked she had survived and was still alive), and that the size of the entry hole is a legislative violation - making the harm done to Odette a wildlife crime. Miraculously I couldn't feel any breaks, and her circulation is intact. There's a lot of bruising, swelling and tenderness, but although it's only been one full day, I'm cautiously optimistic for dear baby Odette's recovery.

Hedgehog Cabin

32,521 просмотров • 1 месяц назад

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Anya's babies were born here on 10th June, so they're 3.5 weeks old now. This is the exact age that most 'abandoned' babies come into rescue, and here's why. It's 6.30am, the sun is up and it's daylight so mum has gone to bed for the day, (but it's still a bit too dark in the hospital for the cameras). She's in her own nest, away from her babies. She's left her precious babies sleeping safely in the maternity nest for the day, to encourage their transition from diurnal to nocturnal, and to wean them off daytime feeds from her. But for one little baby who should be asleep, it's just too exciting having ears and eyes that work, and teeth that are starting to erupt. He just can't wait. So with mum away, he sneaks out to have a little explore... All what you see here is happening in the safety of the mother and baby unit here at the hospital. But now imagine this happening in the wild. How easy it is for the baby to take the wrong turn. For mum not to hear. For a human to come and pick the baby up before mum has a chance to retrieve him. This is why it's so important that the first thing you do when you see a tiny baby out is to stop, stand still, keep your eyes on him from a distance, and ring a good rescue for advice. They will ask all the right questions and will be able to remotely assess the situation, and advise what actions, if any, need to be taken. Put the number of your local trusted hedgehog rescue in your phone now, ready, just in case.🥰

Hedgehog Cabin

23,059 просмотров • 1 месяц назад