Hedgehog populations in the UK and Europe have declined by over 50% since 2000, making effective rehabilitation of injured and orphaned hedgehogs increasingly important for conservation.
Effective hedgehog rehabilitation requires specialized knowledge. Well-meaning intervention without proper training can cause more harm than good — feeding inappropriate foods, handling too much, or releasing at the wrong weight or season leads to poor welfare outcomes. Connecting with trained specialist rehabilitators maximizes both the welfare of individual animals and the conservation benefit of their release. Creating hedgehog-friendly gardens also reduces the number requiring rehabilitation in the first place.