STILL HOGGING THE SPOTLIGHT
Why hedgehog rescuers can’t rest over the winter
VOLUNTEERS AT a busy animal rescue centre in North Yorkshire used to be able to enjoy some well-earned rest during the winter months.
The Wildlife Orphanage at Barlby, near Selby, was formerly relatively quiet in winter, with fewer poorly young animals to look after from November onwards.
But Annette Pyrah, who has run the Wildlife Orphanage at her detached home for five and a half years, said milder Octobers over the past couple of years have led to rising numbers of hedgehogs that need caring for over winter.
Ms Pyrah said that this winter, the increase in numbers of young hedgehogs born too late in the season to have built up enough fat to hibernate has been more noticeable.
Hedgehogs usually end their breeding season by October, but unseasonably mild weather in October 2017 encouraged them to continue for longer than usual.
Ms Pyrah said: “It’s all down to climate change. They have a second litter in the autumn, usually in September, but because of the mild weather it is getting later and they are breeding later.
“We have had 32 hedgehogs in the last couple of weeks.”
Ms Pyrah said in mid-December the rescue centre admitted two tiny hedgehogs, each weighing just 214g.
She added: “Hedgehogs need to have a good layer of fat and weigh around 650g to last them through hibernation, so these late-born youngsters will remain in rescue until next spring.
“Wildlife rescue is very seasonal. In springtime it’s all the baby birds. Between now and March should be quiet but we are just full of hedgehogs.”
Ms Pyrah said the first patient arrived at her home more than five years ago, the day after she had a casual conversation to a local vet about caring for animals.
She said: “It was by accident really. Someone knocked on my door and brought in an orphaned duckling no bigger than a 50p piece and that’s what started it all off.
“That was back in June 2012 when I started off the rescue in my conservatory, but more and more animals kept arriving so I had to sell my car to raise money to build a wildlife cabin in the garden.
“It’s a log cabin which has been extended twice because of the number of animals coming in from all over Yorkshire.
“After that I started getting baby blackbirds, song thrushes, swifts, owls, hedgehogs, hares and rabbits.”
Ms Pyrah specialises in looking after newborn orphaned animals and usually takes in about 400 a year. She said: “In spring and summer I work 15 hours a day from dawn to dusk.”
Ms Pyrah said that the majority of her time is spent looking after baby birds, who need feeding every 20 minutes during daylight hours.
Ms Pyrah said she could not run the centre, which relies entirely on donations from the public, without the “extremely valuable” regular help from six volunteers.
It costs about £5 a week to feed each hedgehog with cat food and specialist hedgehog food and the centre must also find cash for heating and medical bills.
Donations of cat food and biscuits for the hedgehogs can be dropped off at the Wildlife Orphanage at Low Mill, York Road, Barlby, YO8 5JP.
Anyone finding small hedgehog at this time of year can contact Annette on 0771 1883072 or the British Hedgehog Preservation Society on 01584 890801. For more information, go to www.wildlifeorphans.co.uk.
I had to sell my car to raise money to build a wildlife cabin. Annette Pyrah, who runs the Wildlife Orphanage.