Please visit the Prickly`s Patch website,at:WWW.PRICKLYSPATCH.CO.UK

This page is dedicated to our friends at `Prickly`s Patch`hedgehog hospital,in Derbyshire, England.Neil and Jeanette started taking in Hedgehogs several years ago,after finding a sick one in their garden, and,not knowing who to turn to,they cared for it themselves,and it all started from there.

In specially converted outbuildings,they are able to offer rehabilitation,and excellent medical care to sick,injured or orphaned Hedgehogs,most of which can eventually be successfully returned to the wild.

Hedgehogs face many dangers,not least of all cars!:
garden ponds:Hedgehogs can swim,but get into difficulty if the sides of a pond are too steep to climb out;try putting a plank of wood or chicken wire into the water to help them.
drains:Uncovered drains are a serious hazard to Hedgehogs-please keep them covered!
bonfires:Hedgehogs have a habit of making their nest in bonfires,so move the items being burned to another place before lighting it.
compost heaps:Take great care when turning over compost heaps,as Hedgehogs may be sleeping there.
garden netting:Try to keep netting clear of the groud by at least a foot,as these can easily become entangled with a Hedgehog`s spines as it crawls underneath.
slug pellets:Try to avoid using these if at all possible;Hedgehogs are much better at controlling slugs and snails,but can easily be poisoned by slug-pellets.
strimmers:Take great care when clearing long grass or thick undergrowth,as these are ideal places for a hedgehog`s nest.Remember:STRIMMERS CAN MUTILATE!

The hedgehogs receive the best possible care,to give them a fighting chance.

It`s not just Hedgehogs!Squirrels,Ferrets(right),and even Foxes,have all been cared for by Neil and Jeanette.

If you would like advice,information,or have found a sick or injured Hedgehog,please contact Neil or Jeanette,at Prickly`s Patch,by:E-MAIL or by telephone,on: 01773 604425
For information on other Wildlife carers,please log on to:www.wildwatch.org.uk

JULY 2006.