Hedgehog rescuers issue plea to gardeners

The charity says hoglets need feeding every two hours during the day and night

A hedgehog rescue charity has asked people to be mindful when tending their gardens and live in conjunction with the wildlife that comes in.

Shelley Brennan, 36, and her partner Nick Penniall, 38, set up the Peterborough Hedgehog Hotel about four years ago to give special care to the injured animals.

Their most recent intake included five hoglets weighing between 14 and 21g (0.5 to 0.75oz), taken in as newborns after their mother did not return to them.

The charity said it hoped more people would eventually learn how to protect and care for wildlife.

The spikes (also known as quills) on the backs of hedgehogs are prickly to touch even when they are babies

Mr Penniall said he and his partner would be taking shifts to care for the hoglets, which needed feeding every two hours during the day and night.

"We started doing this [Peterborough Hedgehog Hotel] when we came in touch with the National Exotic Hedgehog Rescue Service," he said.

"We later started adopting, fostering, and raising money, then people started to get to know us as the hedgehog people."

The pair set up the sanctuary from their home, which at one point contained between 40 and 50 animals, before they moved into a bigger residence.

Mr Penniall said they often saw animals poisoned by slug pellets or weedkiller, or with chemical burns that could be caused by some sprays.

"People need to think about what they are doing in their gardens because it can have an impact on wildlife," he said.

"We should be working with wildlife and living in conjunction rather than turf it out... we should feel privileged to have wildlife coming in."

The charity often sees hedgehogs injured by cars, too.