Hedgehog numbers have declined by around 50 percent in the UK since 2000, and wildlife rehabilitation plays an important role in helping sick, injured, and underweight individuals survive.
Hedgehogs in need of rehabilitation experience significant welfare suffering from the conditions that brought them to human attention — starvation, hypothermia, injury, fly strike, or disease. The welfare priority is warmth (a box with a heat pad on one side), appropriate food, and quiet. Hedgehogs are prey species that experience acute stress from handling and noise; welfare-conscious rehabilitation minimises unnecessary contact and provides a dark, quiet environment. Early intervention for underweight autumn hoglets — before their bodyweight falls below the threshold for winter survival — is critical. Soft release into appropriate habitat after rehabilitation ensures long-term survival success.