Community steps in to rescue orphaned hoglets

Karen Alexander-Clarke is looking after the orphaned hoglets

Four little hoglets orphaned after their hedgehog mother was poisoned are in a rescue centre after a community stepped in to help them.

Karen Alexander-Clarke, who runs East Budleigh's Hog Shack, said the hoglets - Princess, Earl, Duchess and Prince - are receiving special care after being rescued from gardens in the area.

Ms Alexander-Clarke said she was first alerted to their plight when an adult female she called Queenie was brought in "convulsing" after likely eating something poisonous, before "dying in her arms".

The fact she was lactating alerted the hedgehog expert to the fact there would be orphans - and she "put word out" for residents around Queen's Road to keep an eye out.

The rescued hoglets were found in gardens

"And local residents didn't fail those hoglets," said Ms Alexander-Clarke.

"After two late night trips, four hoglets were found... saved from certain death as they were too small to survive on their own."

Proffering her "huge thanks" to the people who found the hoglets in their gardens, she added: "All the youngsters were warmed, given formula, then snuggled together in the heated pen on the fleece that mum Queenie was put in at point of rescue."

The babies have been bottle-fed with formula and are "doing okay", Ms Alexander-Clarke added.

"One is dragging behind weight-wise and they are on antibiotics because they would have been getting antibodies from their mum's milk."

"Shattered doesn't come close, but a fantastic result from such sadness," she added.

The animal lover describes her outfit as "small-scale", with five pens in a "shed" and three hutches outside to help rehabilitated hedgehogs acclimatise.

"I love doing what I do, I'm very privileged, it makes me happy and gives me a sense of purpose."