Appeal to help identify mystery hedgehog illness

Islanders that have hedgehogs regularly visiting their gardens are being asked to collect their droppings

After seeing a high number of sick hedgehogs, an animal welfare charity in Alderney is asking islanders to help it identify the mystery illness.

Kelly Huitson, a registered veterinary nurse with Alderney Animal Welfare Society (AAWS), has asked residents that have hedgehogs regularly visiting their gardens to collect faecal samples.

She said the charity would send the samples to laboratories in the UK to identify parasites and any other factors that could be contributing to the increased number of deaths.

Although there were a "high number" of deaths, particularly in September and October, "thankfully the volume of losses have been nowhere near as bad in November", she added.

The AAWS said at least two hedgehogs had survived since the beginning of November and had been successfully released

Ms Huitson said: "We've had animals present with similar signs of being slow, lethargic or tired, anaemic and dehydrated, and likely too small to hibernate for winter still being seen in the clinic."

However, she said the charity had successfully released at least two hedgehogs which had survived since the beginning of November.

The charity has asked UK laboratories to carry out two types of test, one of which is to identify which parasites the hedgehogs have.

Ms Huitson said that while it was usual for wild animals to have worms, lice and fleas, collectively they could cause a bigger problem.

She said: "Sometimes, if they are already unwell, the parasite burden can just be too much for them to deal with, and each parasite has separate medications required to treat it.

"This is also important as some parasites may pass to other animals or humans, so if there is a health risk, then we need to understand it better," she added.

The samples need to be dropped off at the AAWS clinic before 18 December

The second set of tests involves a pathologist looking at tissue samples from dead hedgehogs.

Ms Huitson said these may show changes to organs that point to a larger problem or they may show what actually caused the animal to die.

The charity is offering islanders sample pots for the hedgehog droppings that can be collected at the clinic and returned before 18 December.

It also said it could send staff to collect samples.