Wife, mother, sister, auntie and sometimes me 😁 - Destroying our wildlife & planet means we are all mad. Unlikely to respond to DM’s 💕🦔 🌎
South East, England
Joined September 2013
- Tweets4.5K
- Following610
- Followers185
- Likes8.7K
Annie retweeted
Fred and George are free! #hedgehogs
2 twin boys have arrived this evening after being seen yesterday alone. The finder secured them and has been trying to find a space since then. I've called them Fred and George (Weasley) #hoglets
Annie retweeted
This is dear little Owen right now, this afternoon, still eating little and often, just the way a patient recovering from starvation should.
I'm so pleased to say he has survived all his antiparasitic treatments, and will have his last injection tomorrow.
But better still - out of the blue his finder called!
I had no way of contacting him, as he was working when he brought Owen in and was in such a rush he didn't leave his details, so I was delighted that he rang.
Paul actually lives in Northamptonshire - a very long way from where I am in Hampshire. But he said he would make the trip down to pick up Owen when he is recovered, and give him a home in his garden that is open to countryside, and where other hedgehogs regularly visit and are fed and watered year round.
I am so happy that this dear brave boy, once starving and so gravely ill, will now have a happy home!
He needs a couple more weeks of recovery time here, to build up his strength, but his outlook is bright.😊
Owen's history: xitter.cf/HedgehogCabin/status/2…
🔊This poor boy is Owen.
Owen's finder is a delivery driver.
Driving along a busy highway he noticed traffic ahead of him diverting and swerving around something in the road, so he slowed.
He saw Owen, thought he was dead, then saw what the other drivers must have seen - this poor darling flinching each time another bird came down to peck at him.
Thankfully this busy delivery driver's heart was full of compassion and he stopped, scooped poor Owen up off the road, wrapped him in some bubble wrap and brought him straight here.
If not for the kindness of this man, Owen would have suffered an agonising, terrifying death.
I'm so grateful for his act of mercy.
As you can hear, the poor darling is in acute respiratory distress, struggling for every breath, so his prognosis is still poor.
But for now he is safe, warm, free from fear, and having every medication possible to help him overcome this lung infection (secondary to parasite invasion).
Seriously ill hedgehogs suffer from hypothermia.
This is a stage of dying where the blood is redirected to the vital organs, to keep them supplied with oxygen for as long as possible, leaving the rest of the body feeling cold.
So the hedgehog seeks warmth.
Tarmac and paving holds the sun's heat longer than soil or grass, so these poor animals often drag themselves onto a road, for the residue heat the surface retains.
Please remember this, and if you see a hedgehog in the road who isn't obviously dead, pull over and check, when it's safe to do so.
Annie retweeted
This morning, for the very first time, miracle boy Owen gained weight!🥳
As you can see, he's much livelier and his breathing has improved greatly.
He's still snotty from all the mucus produced from the heavy burden of lungworm he suffered, and his breathing is still a little laboured when stressed.
But once he is calm his breathing is quiet - evidence his lungs are healing.
The fact he's managed to gain weight means his villi are also healing.
Villi are the tiny finger-like projections that line the inside wall of the small intestine, and absorb nutrients from digested food.
The massive burden of internal parasites Owen carried destroyed all his villi, so it didn't matter what he ate he would still die of malnutrition.
It takes a LOT of medications and intensive nursing to keep a casualty like Owen alive long enough for this critical recovery.
This is so important to understand, and so difficult to communicate to otherwise good kind people who mistakenly think keeping a starved hedgehog and feeding him will make him better.
Darling Owen is still my worry child, and will be for some time.
But I am overjoyed to see these small forward steps.
Annie retweeted
Good rescues are so rare, because it's such a hard thing to do.
Not just physically and emotionally, but because it takes a lot of time and a lot of money to provide this free service to the public.
So having the loving encouragement and willing support of kind people makes all the difference in the world.
Thank you so much to those who donate towards the cost of medications and bills, and who send essential supplies - I am so deeply moved and inspired by the goodness of your hearts.❤️🩹
And thank you to all of you who support me by your loving solidarity - whether it's commiserating in the losses or rejoicing in the successes - and to those who advocate passionately on behalf of vulnerable animals subjected to mistreatment.
It's the very best use of our energy and passion.
It's true humanity.♥️
Thank you to Steve M and family, Sue and Ray H, Amy C, Kay W, Phil E, Ian J, Agata C, Jim B, Sophie S, Linda Fisk, Merdalf, Stephen W, Shey, Glenn C, Karen.
ALT Nelly, a patient treated at Hedgehog Cabin, the multi award winning hedgehog hospital.
Annie retweeted
A woman called Michelle Farnham is now 17 days into a 3 week protest, living in a cage, at Trafalgar Square, to try and save a pig called Luna (who lives in an identical cage). She stays there day and night.
It has not had any big coverage, as far as I can see. I think it's a bit of a shame that violent and disruptive protest gets so much coverage, while quiet sort of self-sacrificing things like this, that do not harm anybody or any property, get less attention.
Whether you or I agree with her, or what she's trying to do, what an impressive commitment, eh?
Annie retweeted
Today is my birthday, so I hope you won't mind that I'm sharing one of my own favourite photographs, despite the fact that it's an oldie AND it's slightly out of season AND it's a sheep appearing on a Wednesday. What am I even thinking?! But if I can't indulge myself on my birthday, well, when can I?! 🤭
A few years ago, on the side of Higger Tor on a sunny evening, I was focusing my attention on the beautiful view in the distance, when this little face poked around the rocks and stared at me with such a quizzical expression. She made me laugh out loud, which made her stare even more. She has since appeared on my business cards, thank you cards, tea towels, notepad covers, and my advertising banner - she really deserves royalties! I hope she brings a smile to your face today. 🙂
📍 Peak District, England
Annie retweeted
Dragged from his nest, this poor hoglet has suffered horrific wounds. Still blind, deaf & not yet able to properly walk, he was covered in hundreds of tiny maggots eating him alive😢. It took over 3 hours to clean him up. Carlton has survived the night, but he remains critical😢
Annie retweeted
🔊This poor boy is Owen.
Owen's finder is a delivery driver.
Driving along a busy highway he noticed traffic ahead of him diverting and swerving around something in the road, so he slowed.
He saw Owen, thought he was dead, then saw what the other drivers must have seen - this poor darling flinching each time another bird came down to peck at him.
Thankfully this busy delivery driver's heart was full of compassion and he stopped, scooped poor Owen up off the road, wrapped him in some bubble wrap and brought him straight here.
If not for the kindness of this man, Owen would have suffered an agonising, terrifying death.
I'm so grateful for his act of mercy.
As you can hear, the poor darling is in acute respiratory distress, struggling for every breath, so his prognosis is still poor.
But for now he is safe, warm, free from fear, and having every medication possible to help him overcome this lung infection (secondary to parasite invasion).
Seriously ill hedgehogs suffer from hypothermia.
This is a stage of dying where the blood is redirected to the vital organs, to keep them supplied with oxygen for as long as possible, leaving the rest of the body feeling cold.
So the hedgehog seeks warmth.
Tarmac and paving holds the sun's heat longer than soil or grass, so these poor animals often drag themselves onto a road, for the residue heat the surface retains.
Please remember this, and if you see a hedgehog in the road who isn't obviously dead, pull over and check, when it's safe to do so.
Annie retweeted
Darling Apollo found my garden & decided to live in 1 of our Riverside🦔Houses. He’d left a💩outside the🦔house, so I nabbed it to test. I honestly think these precious creatures find help when they need it. Poor Apollo is full of roundworm& lungworm. His treatment is underway ❤️
Annie retweeted
At just 120g Selene was seen out in the day. She was hypothermic, dehydrated & has a wound on her lower back. If that’s not enough Selene is teeming with painful & deadly lungworm too. This poor baby has been suffering😢, we’re doing everything we can to save her precious life❤️.
Annie retweeted
Deer like their pears cut up for them, please and thank you very much.😊
They are used to eating windfall fruit, which is soft and mushy, so fresh pears are a bit challenging.
So now I dutifully cut up the apples and pears I leave for the badger and foxes, and this sweet deer finishes off their leftovers in the morning.
Such a calming, pleasant and satisfying sight, isn't it?
Annie retweeted
Precious Dolly at 257g & approx. 8 wks old arrived covered in ticks😢. Her lovely finders knew she needed help. Dolly is full of roundworm, has a nasty cough & lungworm too. She’s very sick, but this beautiful baby gained well overnight & I’ve a good feeling she’ll be just fine❤️
I found one of my local hedgehogs dead at the end of our road today, it looked like it had been hit by a car. Im so sad and wanted to share with people who would understand. I’ve been feeding 3 hedgehogs in my garden for a long time and I’m now down to 1 😢
@HedgehogCabin
Annie retweeted
Rebel is doing really well #hedgehog
Rebel was found squeaking in a garden, kept & 'looked after for a week' ...when she arrived she looked 'fine'...the next day there was blood in her poo, it was full of lungworm larvae & fluke eggs...I hoped it wasn't too late. One week later...please find a rescue asap #hedgehog
Annie retweeted
Found out in the day, when poor Shelley arrived she was weak, severely dehydrated & required intensive treatment. Her sibling Pebbles was in a better condition. For 3 days Shelley didn’t leave her bed, but now with Pebbles by her side, this precious girl has the strength to eat🥰
Annie retweeted
This dear little baby deploying this amazing survival tactic is just 12 days old, and is still deaf and blind.
This is how these gentle, intelligent, adaptable little creatures survived 15 millions years ago, while their bigger, stronger contemporaries - the hairy mammoth and sabre toothed tiger - died out.
Hedgehogs are a most unusual animal in that they don't possess the Flight or Fight Reflex - a complex reaction that allows most mammals (including us humans) to deal with danger by either running away or fighting back. Instead, their reaction to threat and fear is to instantly draw themselves tightly into a ball, using a very strong muscle that runs around the edge of their coat of spines, like a drawstring purse.
This deploys their needle sharp spines, which they can erect at will and then criss-cross, forming an impenetrable barrier.
This spiky armour is enough of a deterrent to most would-be attackers, and adult hedgehogs will stay in this position until the danger has passed.
But babies who are small enough to be picked up have an extra, super defence, to compensate for their vulnerability.
Their spines are extremely sensitive, and even if they just sense the displacement of air, as an inquisitive animal's mouth approaches, they can spring into the air - ramming their needle-like spines into the animal's tender mouth, making the shocked, hurt animal instantly drop them.
Isn't that just amazing?🥰
Annie retweeted
Even when you've seen far too much of it recently, it's still hard to keep the smile from your face when the sun comes barrelling over the hills towards you at dawn, getting tangled in the trees and drifting through the heather. It was mercifully still cool on the moors with a light breeze when I took this, and this delicate silver birch was doing her very best morning shimmy.
📍 Peak District, England
Annie retweeted
Prickle Lodge was on tour today 🤗. We were at the Edenbrook Country Park in Fleet, for the annual Nature Discovery Day. It was a great turnout, with lots of youngsters interested in how they can help wildlife, and of course this very precious species 🦔❤️🦔. #hedgehogs #wildlife
Annie retweeted
Thankfully the finder has a wildlife📷& could see this poor🦔was dragging his left hind leg. Sadly not only is Dobby’s leg broken, but he has lungworm 2. I’m delighted to say, he’s recovering well & it won’t be 2 much longer before Dobbie can continue his adventures in the wild🤗
Annie retweeted
The test of the best of us is that we can correctly measure our own inconvenience against the weight of someone else's pain.
Thank you, to all those of you who have found a casualty and have dropped what you were doing, no matter how important, and taken that precious needy animal to a rescue for the treatment they so desperately needed.
And thank you, to all those of you who have supported and championed the wildlife rescues, by word or by deed.
And a huge thank you to my lovely lovely followers, for all your amazing loving support and generous encouragement.
You are the best.
You fill me with hope.💞
The Amazon wishlist supplies with notes are from Susan S, Sue and Ray H, Julie S, Phil E, Kay W, and Amy C, Mark S, Amanda M, Rhiannon S. A special thank you to Ian J.
ALT A hoggle of babies born to Mercy, a patient at Hedgehog Cabin, the multi award winning hedgehog hospital.