How to keep a hedgehog healthy

Have you ever seen one of these prickly fellows in a garden?

Hedgehogs are native to mainland Britain but they're currently classified as a species that is vulnerable to extinction.

Sharon and Andy run the charity Burntisland Hedgehog Haven Hedgehog Haven and spend their time rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing sick and injured hedgehogs.

They spoke to Newsround about the work they do and why it's so important, after being nominated for a BBC Make a Difference Award.

This is Andy with one of their spikey residents.

Andy and Sharon started rescuing hedgehogs back in March 2023 and have had 520 hedgehogs through the door so far.

This is Gracie. She was caught in a football net.

This is a pretty common problem for hedgehogs. Andy and Sharon also see lots of injured hedgehogs from garden tools.

Some hedgehogs come in after their nests have been disturbed from humans doing garden work, others might be orphaned or have illnesses.

Once they get a call about a hedgehog, the pair will take it to the vet to get the care it needs before looking after it until it is strong enough to be released back into the wild.

Linden is just one of the hedgehogs Andy and Sharon have helped to save.

He was found on his own when he was just seven days old.

Hedgehogs are born deaf and blind, and at their very small size, they're particularly vulnerable.

When the Hedgehog Haven has a patient this young, they need to be fed a special formula every couple of hours, even through the night.

Look at Linden now!

He weighed just 51 grams when he came in and is now 432g and nearly ready to be released into the wild!

Andy and Sharon will try and release him where he was found, or as close to the area as possible, to give him the best chance of thriving when he's back home.

Andy and Sharon say hedgehogs are nocturnal which means they are most active at night so if you see one out in the day, it might need some help.

Their advice is to ask your parent or guardian to call a local rescue who will be able to give you advice on what to do.

What can you do to help hedgehogs at home?

You can make your garden accessible to the prickly fellows if you have one by making a hedgehog highway - an easy path into your garden for them.

It's good to leave out a bowl of water so if they're thirsty they can take a drink.

Cat biscuits or wet cat or dog food can also be really helpful for them if you know you've got some visitors.

Andy and Sharon say once they know your garden is friendly and a nice place to be, they'll probably bring their pals along too!