Hedgehog rescued and released after being found in Bontnewydd

Claire Nightingale found the hedgehog, who her daughter named Spike, while out on an evening walk.

She said: “My daughter, Elen, was at Brownies that evening and as I had a little spare time, I decided to go for a stroll down a country lane in Bontnewydd.

“I couldn’t believe it when I came across a tiny little hedgehog in the middle of the road. He was so small that he fitted in the palm of my hand.

“To begin with, I was unsure whether to intervene, but I couldn’t see an adult nearby, and knowing that hedgehogs are under threat, I decided that I had to try to do something for this tiny little hoglet.”

Elen Nightingale with Spike the hedgehog

Luckily, Elen’s Brownies group had completed a hedgehog badge the previous week, so Claire put Spike in a Morrison’s paper bag and took the hoglet straight to their group leader, Lesley Roberts.

Lesley, their ‘Brown Owl’, was then able to contact Hedgehuggles, a hedgehog rescue charity based in North West Wales.

From there, Marie Pierce, a hedgehog foster carer for Hedgehuggles, sprang into action. She was able to rush Spike to Jo Vandersteen, a volunteer who’s had special training to care for hogs in need.

Spike was just three weeks old and weighed just 80g. He was cold, lethargic, and not curling well.

Marie said: “I have a particular attachment to Spike as I wasn’t sure if he would survive when I first saw him. It’s very rare to successfully nurse such a poorly hoglet back to health.

“Claire and her family have hedgehogs that visit their garden in Caernarfon, so we decided to release Spike there.

“Elen was able to help me settle Spike into his temporary hedgehog house, and they have decided to set up a feeding station to support their local hogs.”

Hedgehuggles was established by Sarah Worth, who said: “I set up Hedgehuggles in 2014, and we are now a volunteer team of six rehabbers with plenty of volunteer foster carers too.

“We don’t receive any funding, and must fundraise to pay for the conservation work we do. Hedgehuggles could not continue its valuable work without kind donations from the public.”

If you would like to make a donation and learn more about Hedgehuggles’ work, visit www.facebook.com/Hedgehugglesrescue.

Hedgehogs are nocturnal, so if you find one out in the day that appears to be resting, sunbathing, injured, walking with a wobble or, like Spike, a lone baby, then please contact Hedgehuggles on 07736 280787 (Bangor) or 07887 425109 (Anglesey).