Hedgehog Rehabilitation: Standards of Care and Release Criteria

Hedgehog populations have declined by over 50% in the UK since 2000. Rehabilitation of sick and injured hedgehogs requires specialist knowledge, and release criteria must ensure animals are fit to survive and breed.

Key Facts

UK hedgehog populations have halved since 2000 - now estimated at under 1 million
Common reasons for rehabilitation: road traffic injuries, orphaned young, autumn juveniles underweight for hibernation
Autumn juveniles under 600g face near-certain hibernation mortality - supplementary feeding or overwintering is required
Hedgehog rehabilitators must be registered under the Wildlife and Countryside Act in the UK
Internal parasites (lungworm, fleas, ticks) are ubiquitous and require treatment before release
Release sites must have appropriate habitat: undisturbed garden areas, hedgerows or woodland edges
Hedgehogs should not be released in winter months when invertebrate prey is unavailable

Welfare Considerations

Hedgehog rehabilitation involves difficult decisions at every stage. Many hedgehogs presented as injured are actually simply diurnal (daytime activity indicates distress) - rapid assessment prevents unnecessary capture of animals that would recover naturally. Once in care, pain management, appropriate nutrition (not bread and milk) and parasite treatment are welfare essentials. Release decisions must weigh individual welfare against population conservation: an animal released too early, too thin or in poor habitat will suffer and die. Rehabilitation standards that include minimum body weight, parasite clearance and behavioural fitness checks prevent release of animals unprepared for wild survival.

What You Can Do

If you find a hedgehog out in daylight, contact the British Hedgehog Preservation Society helpline
Provide a shallow dish of fresh water and cat or dog food (not bread or milk) for garden hedgehogs
Create hedgehog highways (13cm holes in fences) to allow garden access
Avoid slug pellets containing metaldehyde or methiocarb which kill hedgehogs
Leave areas of garden unmown to provide invertebrate habitat and nesting material
Donate to or volunteer with hedgehog rehabilitation organisations
Check bonfires and compost heaps before disturbing them during hedgehog active season