Hedgehog hibernation is a complex physiological process that can go fatally wrong, with welfare challenges including premature hibernation in underweight animals and disturbance during torpor.
Underweight hedgehogs entering hibernation face death from energy depletion before spring. Repeated arousal during warm spells exponentially increases energy expenditure. Disturbance during deep torpor causes sudden physiological stress. The combination of autumn food scarcity and climate warming is creating a new category of welfare emergency for hedgehogs.