Hedgehog numbers needing help doubles, East Sussex rescuers say

Most hedgehogs are returned to where they were found

A hedgehog rehabilitation group has said it cared for more than twice as many animals in 2023 as it did in the previous year.

Help4Hedgehogs in Sussex said more than 200 of the animals were admitted in 2023 compared to 98 the previous year.

The Herstmonceux-based non-profit organisation says each year is busier than the last.

The organisation says the hedgehog population is believed to have declined by around a third since 2000.

Help4Hedgehogs said habitat loss, use of chemicals in gardens and busy roads had all contributed to "a pretty dire situation" for the species.

Across England hedgehogs are registered as vulnerable to extinction on the red list for Britain's mammals.

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