How wildlife hospitals and rehabilitators care for hedgehogs and what outcomes the best rehabilitation programmes achieve.
Hedgehog rehabilitation represents a direct welfare intervention for a species in significant population decline. Individual rehabilitated hedgehogs experience genuine welfare benefit from the care provided — treatment of injuries, restoration of appropriate weight, and return to wild life. The welfare during rehabilitation depends on providing appropriate housing in quiet, low-disturbance environments, species-appropriate diet, and the early introduction of natural foraging behaviour to support post-release survival. The welfare objective extends beyond the rehabilitation period: a hedgehog released into an unsuitable location or before it is ready to fend for itself is a welfare failure despite the investment in its rehabilitation.