Hedgehogs and Hurt Animals

Hedgehogs and Hurt Animals

We found a hedgehog on our doormat the other day, looking half dead. Luckily a quick search on the 'net and we found there was a wildlife animal hospital nearby to take him/her to.

What had happened to the poor little fella I have no idea, but he (I'll call it a "he" from now on, it's easier) was in a sorry state and hardly moving, one back leg twisted behind him and breathing very slowly in a laboured fashion.

One comfy cardboard box (and a pair of heavy duty gardening gloves!) later, and a quick search on Google, and soon he was being rushed in the back of my other half's car to the Weirfield Wildlife Hospital in Lincoln.

A local charity, apparently they've been running for quite some time (see their website) and are entirely funded by donations, with volunteer helpers.

"Weirfield Wildlife Hospital was created by Dave and Ally Townsend in 1989 when they started with just one aviary in their back garden. Now, with the help of ex-R.S.P.C.A. Inspector Dennis Jones and local vets David and Susan Ashcroft, it has expanded to include several aviaries and pens."

So back to the story of the lame hedgehog, he was quickly taken in, popped in an RSPCA box ready for a proper checkover at their hospital facility, and we left a cash donation (filling in the Gift Aid form of course), and that was that.

Hedgehogs are supposedly hardy little things (except when it comes to lawnmowers and cars on country roads, that's self-evident), but to be completely honest we haven't checked how he's doing now, that's if he even survived after we left him there.

Even so, he's got to have had a better chance than being left baking in the sun on our doormat where he'd have been open to attack from cats, foxes, or other predators. Some people might say that that's nature, and we should have left him be, but it didn't look as if he'd been hurt in any natural way we could think of, bar being dropped from a great height by some huge eagle!

Anyway, the point being, if you do happen across some poor creature that's hurt and in pain, stop and think that there's a place nearby that could help - Weirfield Wildlife Hospital in Lincoln.

That's all for now! Bob