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Hedgehog warning ahead of bonfire night

Suzanne Tibbetts A small hedgehog standing in very green grass. The hedgehog is inquisitively coming in the direction of the camera, looking straight down its nose to the direction of the lens. It is so small the blade of grass around it are a similar height to the mammal. The hedgehog is a mix of light and brown shades and has spikes all along its back. Suzanne Tibbetts
Small and simple actions, like building bonfires on the night, having holes in fences and leaving food and water out could really help the species

A hedgehog hospital said it was having to deal with an increase in the number of the animals becoming injured, sick or dying.

Suzanne Tibbetts, from Hartford Hedgehog Rescue in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, said rescuers were receiving more calls for help.

"There's very little they struggle with that isn't a direct reflection of what we have implemented," she added, noting the impact of new developments on habitats.

With bonfire night around the corner, she urged people to build fires on the night, rather than in advance, as it acted as a warm place for a hedgehog to nest.

Suzanne Tibbetts Suzanne Tibbetts is smiling at the camera with her hands outstretched holding a spherical shape covered in spikes, a hedgehog, The mammals hands, feet and face are all tucked away so only its prickly back can be seen. Mrs Tibbetts is holding the hedgehog while wearing pink gloves and a short-sleeve blue t-shirt. She had dark hair which has been tied up into a bun at the top of her head. Behind her six wooden huts can been see where rescued hedgehogs are kept. Suzanne Tibbetts
"Whenever people say 'we've never seen any hedgehogs in in our garden', I always say it's because they're all in my hospital," Mrs Tibbetts said

Mrs Tibbetts has been taking part in talks to educate and spread awareness about how to help hedgehogs.

She recommended creating holes in fences for them to move through, leaving out food such as kitten kibble and water, not over tidying gardens, having ramps in ponds and taking care while gardening.

If a hedgehog is spotted out during the day, it needs help immediately, unless it is moving with purpose and it is "blatantly obvious that they're on a mission", she added. It is then likely to be nesting or a feeding mum.

"The list is endless, it amazes me we've got any left with all the things they've got going against them," Mrs Tibbetts said.

"Rescues across the country are doing such a good job.

"I'm just working tirelessly to take them in, rehabilitate them, get them out and it is a never-ending task. There's no break."

Suzanne Tibbetts Close up of a spiky hedgehog, which is balled up, being held in the palm of a persons gloved hand. It Is a mix of dark and light brown and its small hands and feet are pointing up towards the camera. Its face is also looking up to the camera lens. Suzanne Tibbetts
We get hedgehogs coming in with injuries from bonfires because their natural defence isn't to run away, it is to curl up

In the UK, hedgehogs have suffered historic declines, with a study in 2022 finding numbers had fallen by up to 75% in rural areas since 2000.

The latest update to the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) said hedgehog numbers had suffered rapid declines and the species was listed as "near threatened" in a global assessment.

IUCN experts said the species was suffering from increasing human pressure, including intensive agriculture which damages their rural habitat, roads and urban development.

However, in urban areas previously declining populations were starting to show signs of recovery.

Mrs Tibbetts added she had noticed pockets of urban hedgehogs that were "thriving" because people were becoming more aware of what to look out for.

Additional reporting by PA Media.

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