Hurting Hedgehogs
Like any 90s kid, I played Sonic the Hedgehog religiously. He was uncannily fast, curled into a cool ball and tried his best to survive all of the obstacles in the game. Sadly, hedgehogs http://www.care2.com/greenliving/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-hedgehog-video.html in the U.K. don't have Sonic's super powers, and they have 2 major obstacles. What sounds like a video game quest is real life: Hedgehogs in the U.K. could go extinct in 10 short years, unless Brits do something now.
What's Hurting Hedgehogs?
This wasn't always the case. Hedgehogs used to be ubiquitous in the U.K. As reported in Mirror, http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/hedgehogs-could-extinct-just-10-6702875 in the 1950s, there were 30 million hedgehogs. But in 1 decade, "their numbers have fallen by ten percent, a rate of decline …show more content…
Hedgehog babies might not survive the next few winter months because they can't put on enough weight. One wildlife center is preparing for as many as 200 underweight babies.
10 Ways You Can Help Hedgehogs from Your Home
But wildlife centers can't help them all, so experts are asking for the public's help, particularly to look out for the babies during these coming winter months. Here are a few tips you can use to help hedgehogs right from your home from the RSPCA: http://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/wildlife/inthewild/gardenhedgehogs
1. DO keep parts of your garden wild with piles of leaves and logs so they have food to munch on and comfortable nests.
2. DO create or buy a hedgehog house. They don't ask for much -- a piece of board against a wall is pretty cozy for hedgehogs.
3. DO leave fresh food and water. Hedgehogs enjoy fine delicacies like: small pieces of meat, non-fish dog or cat tinned food, crushed cat biscuits and boiled eggs. Remember to keep the food small and chopped for our small friends. DON'T give them milk.
4. DO cover drains, holes and swimming
What's Hurting Hedgehogs?
This wasn't always the case. Hedgehogs used to be ubiquitous in the U.K. As reported in Mirror, http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/hedgehogs-could-extinct-just-10-6702875 in the 1950s, there were 30 million hedgehogs. But in 1 decade, "their numbers have fallen by ten percent, a rate of decline …show more content…
Hedgehog babies might not survive the next few winter months because they can't put on enough weight. One wildlife center is preparing for as many as 200 underweight babies.
10 Ways You Can Help Hedgehogs from Your Home
But wildlife centers can't help them all, so experts are asking for the public's help, particularly to look out for the babies during these coming winter months. Here are a few tips you can use to help hedgehogs right from your home from the RSPCA: http://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/wildlife/inthewild/gardenhedgehogs
1. DO keep parts of your garden wild with piles of leaves and logs so they have food to munch on and comfortable nests.
2. DO create or buy a hedgehog house. They don't ask for much -- a piece of board against a wall is pretty cozy for hedgehogs.
3. DO leave fresh food and water. Hedgehogs enjoy fine delicacies like: small pieces of meat, non-fish dog or cat tinned food, crushed cat biscuits and boiled eggs. Remember to keep the food small and chopped for our small friends. DON'T give them milk.
4. DO cover drains, holes and swimming