Secret World on hand to help sick hedgehogs (From This is The West Country)
Get involved! Send your photos, video, news & views by texting COUNTY GAZETTE to 80360 or email us
Secret World on hand to help sick hedgehogs
2:20pm Tuesday 24th July 2012 in Somerset
Hedgehogs at Secret World
ORPHANED baby hedgehogs suffering from hypothermia have been flooding in to an East Huntspill wildlife rescue centre.
Secret World wildlife rescue will be telling visitors how they can help the hedgehogs through the charity’s Hedgehog and Tortoise Open Weekend on July 28 and 29.
Charity founder Pauline Kidner said this year hypothermia caused by rain was a big problem.
She said: “We have received a number of babies which have been orphaned by dogs rooting out their nests and scaring away their mums.
“Fifty years ago there were 30 million hedgehogs in Britain but now there is only an estimated 1.1 million, so if we carry on at this rate they could be almost extinct in ten years.”
Visitors can see a family of tortoises and meet Eric, an eight stone pet Chelonian tortoise.
Opening hours on Saturday and Sunday are from 10am to 4pm. Admittance is free but donations and tins of cat food will be welcome.
