It's tomorrow!!🥳 The lovely and talented @springy_steve has his annual open day tomorrow, Saturday 22nd August, so if you are in the area (or even if you aren't!) please do stop by and treat yourself to tea and delicious homemade cakes in the most beautiful garden. As usual, lovely Steve is donating all the entrance money to charity, and I am one of the very grateful recipients, so supporting him will be supporting me too. Thank you.❤️

Just a quick one about slugs and snails, as it's still a common question (due to some recently published misinformation). Slugs and snails are the intermediate host of lungworm, so can pass this fatal parasite to any mammal that is unfortunate enough to be forced by starvation to eat them, or is contaminated by their slime trail. This includes hedgehogs - they don't have any magical protection properties. But slugs and snails are also our heros, here's why: As well as providing food for many amphibians, reptiles and birds, they protect us humans from all sorts of potentially fatal pathogens. Take bird poo for example. Birds don't wee. Any water they consume is used and absorbed by their body. This means they don't have to have a bladder, so they are lighter for flying. Instead of wee they pass pure uric acid paste with their poo (that's the white bit on top), and so their poo is water resistent. (Anyone who has tried to clean it off their car is painfully aware of this) So if it's water resistent, therefore the rain can't wash it away, why aren't we all knee deep in bird poo? Because of slugs! Slugs eat bird poo. Isn't that brilliant? Slugs and snails are decomposers that consume various organic matter, including rotting plants, dead animals, and animal droppings, finding bird poo a nutritious source of decay from which to extract nutrients from. So slugs - don't eat them, wash everything that touches them or their slime trail, but love them for being nature's most industrious clean up crew!🥰

Wild London David Attenborough I'm getting so many posts from lovely people absolutely outraged at the misinformation regarding hedgehogs and slugs presented on this show yesterday, so I'll just address it here. David Attenbourough is a really lovely man, and has done an immense amount of good for us, our wildlife, and our planet. But he, like any other TV presenter, relies on programme researchers for script content. The researchers, in turn, rely on who they *perceive to be* experts in the field. Unfortunately, they were taken in by some clever branding and chose the wrong people: A self-proclaimed 'hedgehog expert', often funded by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (see their most recent dangerous misinformation, and my response, published here:xitter.cf/HedgehogCabin/status/2…) And the London Wildlife Trust. Recently the London Wildlife Trust engaged me as an expert consultant on a 4 page spread article about hedgehog myths. Many of you have seen my interview, and the draft of the subsequent article. I was sent this draft (see 1st image below) for approval, to which I agreed. However, before going to print, an executive at London Wildlife trust decided to do some editing of his own. It's shocking, I know, and would be unbelievable, if not here in actual print. I've included two versions of the full article below: the first draft approved by me and the team at LWT, and the second actual printed version, after executive 'editing'. It was this same London Wildlife Trust who co-produced the Wild London documentary and "provided expert help and advice". So now you know. We're all shocked. But of course, as usual, it's the poor hedgehogs who will suffer. People won't provide food for our critically endangered hedgehogs, or bother keeping their garden natural and wild, now they've been told that hedgehogs eat slugs. After all, there's plenty of them to go round. Rescues all around the country, who are treating hedgehogs dying of lungworm from being forced through starvation into eating slugs, will feel so demoralised and invalidated. Like you, I'm furious, frustrated, and bone-wearily saddened.

Please don't make tonight the night you'll regret for the rest of your life. Unlike most mammals, hedgehogs don't have the Fight or Flight Response to danger. That means that no matter how frightened they are, they don't bite, and they don't run away. Their response to danger is to curl up into a protective ball, and wait until the threat passes. That's why so many get run over by approaching cars. That's why so many are maimed and killed by approaching strimmers. And that's why so many get burned alive in bonfires. ❌Poking a stick under the bonfire pile will just make the hedgehog inside curl into a ball. Even if you touch her and hurt her, she won't move or make a sound. ❌Lighting it from one side will just make the hedgehog curl even tighter. As the smoke fills her lungs and her coat begins to singe, she will freeze in place and wait for the danger to pass. ❌Shining a light under the bonfire will just make the hedgehog ball even tighter. She'll stay silent and close her eyes so they don't reflect light and give her presence away. The ONLY way to make a bonfire safe is to build it the same day you light it. So if it's already built, you need to move today, before lighting it tonight. Please stay safe, and make sure it's only the rockets that scream.

Oh dear. Every single thing about this article is wrong. 1. Hedgehogs do NOT come out in the open in the day for any reason other than being seriously ill and dying. In the short nights of JUNE AND JULY ONLY, hogs may extend the hours of foraging by going to bed later and getting up earlier, before full dark, but will NOT be out in the open. They stick to cover and shade. Pregnant or nursing females do NOT come out in the open during the day, ever, unless they are sick. 2. The arterivirus is NOT 'newly discovered', nor is it something that troubles hedgehogs. There has only ever been ONE incident of a group of hedgehogs, all of them at the Vale Wildlife hospital in 2019, who contracted this HOSPITAL-ACQUIRED virus there, due to inadequate hygiene standards and cross contamination with other species. These poor hedgehogs all died, and there has NEVER been another case since. Anywhere. 3. Vets in the UK are NOT wildlife trained. They can't diagnose, do not carry the right drugs, aren't aware of the unique physiology of the hedgehog, and don't possess adequate housing. The smells and sounds of predators in a veterinary clinic can cause enough stress in a sick hedgehog to prove fatal. Vets are a business for domesticated animals and their paying owners only. The treatment and care of wild animals is completely different to domesticated animals, and hedgehogs should be taken to a rescue ONLY, never a vet. I'm really shocked that a normally respected and reputable organisation like the @Natures_Voice would publish such a poorly researched and atrociously misinformed article. The RSPB generally enjoy a good reputation and are a charity I admire, so I'm sure they will consider a retraction. As always, I will offer free consultation, if needed.

Halloween artificial cobweb material: It may be a bit of fake fun for you, but it's a very real and terrifying death for them. And it's not only birds. I've had my first call of the season of a hedgehog trapped in this horrific fake 'cobweb', made especially for gullible halloweeners to spread over their greenery, trapping all unsuspecting birds, insects and mammals, including hedgehogs. The fine synthetic fibers are difficult for animals to see and can quickly wrap around their legs, spines, and neck, leading to severe injuries. When a hedgehog struggles to free herself the web tightens, cutting off circulation and causing deep wounds. These constriction injuries often lead to permanent damage or death. Unfortunately the call was from Manchester, so all I could do was talk them through getting the poor creature to a rescue. Clearly she had been trapped there for at least one night, and her struggles had pulled the strong nylon strands so tightly that one of her toes had been amputated. Can you imagine the pain and the sheer terror? And then seeing dawn approach, while hanging there, tightly bound and helpless. Aside from being stressed, dehydrated, starving and exhausted to the point of near death, she also had horrific bite/peck wounds to her face, where she had been held there, helpless, unable to curl and defend herself, while a predator tried to eat her alive. If you have used this deadly cruel trap to 'decorate' your garden, please take it down now. Please don't be conned by the greedy makers and sellers of this rubbish into hurting defenceless animals.

All over the country a lot of healthy full grown hedgehogs are hibernating early this year. There could be all sorts of reasons why, but it causes two problems that we can help alleviate. 1. It means they will rise from hibernation earlier, because they will run out of fat to burn. So please keep a little dry cat food and clean ice-free water out all throughout winter. You'll be a life saver. 2. Hedgehogs weave their hibernacula mostly out of leaves, and there just aren't enough around yet - they are still on the trees. So the hedgehogs will be forced to make nests out of what's always around - plastic, food wrappers, bags..anything they can forage. As the true winter weather sets in, during late December /early January, the nests that they have made now may not insulate them sufficiently, forcing them up and out on the coldest nights. So please leave out hay, kept dry inside a large flower pot or bucket laid on its side. Just meadow hay, which can be bought very cheaply from most supermarkets and pets stores, but could save a life. Thank you.

Just to start the weekend off on a joyful note, just look what a week in care has done for that dying starved little skin and bones baby, Ryder. Not only is he alive, engaged, happy and having a fun time, he has the sweetest little rounded belly.😍 If you'd like to help with his treatment at @pricklelodge , here are their Amazon wishlist and donation details: Wishlist: amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/… PayPal: paypal.me/pricklelodge Thank you so much. Happy weekend! Ryder's history: xitter.cf/HedgehogCabin/status/1…

Often I hear people say, "I know I have hedgehogs because I see empty snail shells." Hedgehogs don't eat slugs and snails. They eat caterpillars, beetles, larvae, grubs and a few insects. Slugs and snails carry lungworm, deadly to all mammals, including hedgehogs. If you see empty snail shells they are the leftovers from amphibians, or some birds - like this thrush here, using my exposed cherry tree root to winkle the snail out of its shell.

I wrote this last year, but sadly I could've written it today and it'd still be true. We must stop this happening. Please take note, and spread this vital message far and wide. Together we must save these lost babies. xitter.cf/HedgehogCabin/status/1…

As we are in September now, and the start of the 'autumn orphan' baby hedgehog season, I thought I'd repost this example from last year, as a warning: "This is such a sad story, every time I think of what this poor girl has suffered, I cry. Found as a baby on the road, out in the day time, in October last year, this little hog was taken in by a lovely couple in their 70s. They rang the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (@hedgehogsociety) and asked what they should do. They were given the details of 2 local rescues. These were full, so they rang the society back and asked what they should do. "Just keep her," they were told. "Feed her and fatten her up and release her in the spring". NEVER EVER DO THIS. Trusting the society knew what they were doing, and their advice could be trusted, the couple obeyed. They kept the baby hedgehog in a 3 foot by 3 foot box, with a pile of bedding in one half, food in one corner (raw chicken and some cat biscuits, as advised by the vet they rang, again as advised by the BHPS), and the other corner for a toilet. NEVER ASK A VET FOR WILDLIFE ADVICE. This poor little hedgehog was kept in this box and grew up in it, from October to now, April. 6 months. Living in a box. The couple were so worried they were not doing the right thing, but were told all was fine by the BHPS. This week, after reading hedgehogs are up and about, they phoned the BHPS again for advice. They were told to release the hedgehog. Just like that. This baby who had known nothing but a wooden box for all her life, who was completely institutionised and had never walked more than 2 foot distance, so had no muscle tone, just put out, defenceless and utterly unprepared. The lovely couple didn't like to question the British Hedgehog Preservation Society, thinking that because of the name that they were some kind of authority on hedgehogs, but felt in their heart it was wrong, so they phoned a local rescue for advice. The rescue was, understandably, shocked and horrified to hear what had been done to this poor wild animal. They shouted at the kind couple, and made the wife cry, and the husband very upset. But still the couple persisted, and called another local rescue. This old couple are quiet, and of a generation who feel subserviant to anyone they feel has more knowledge than them, so are slow to deny suppositions or explain themselves. The second rescue didn't listen, and gave them no time to explain. She shouted at them, told them they were cruel, and that she would be taking the hedgehog from them, and they were to bring the hedgehog to her, and that she would text her address. She never did. Thankfully. But still this lovely couple, so worried and wanting to do the right thing, persevered. And called me. I explained that the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (@hedgehogsociety) is just a group of people who raise funds for research. They have no personal experience or knowledge of hedgehogs, and are NOT qualified to give advice. They keep a list of some UK rescues (some rescues, like me, choose not to be on it). The volunteers who answer the phone are not experienced or knowledgeable and should NOT give advice. All they should do is give the caller the details of rescues, who will then triage the call and advise the finder. They should NEVER have told anyone to keep a hedgehog casualty. If this little one had had lungworm or fluke she would have died a horrible, agonising death. And 98% of autumn orphans have lungworm and/or fluke. If you find a hedgehog casualty or are worried about any aspect of their health, always speak directly to a rescue. They are the frontline and will happily advise you. Just Google 'hedgehog rescue' and a list will appear in order of distance from you. Vets in the UK are not wildlife trained. They are a business for domestic animals only, who have completely different needs to wild animals. So vets know no more about wildlife care than you. A good vet will tell you this, and refer you to a wildlife rescue. Unfortunately some vets find that difficult to do, and give baseless, incorrect and often lethal 'advice'. The only place to get advice about wild animals is from a wildlife rescue or hospital. Feeding raw chicken could have killed this baby in many ways. It's so low in calcium and so high in phosphorus that had the couple not supplemented it with cat biscuits, this little baby would have been crippled and died in agony of Metabolic Bone Disease. Raw chicken can also contain deadly bacteria, like salmonella. The ONLY safe food for hedgehogs is complete cat/kitten/puppy food - one that has meat listed as the 1st ingredient. This poor girl is here now, so is safe. She has two different types of internal parasites; roundworm, and capillaria aerophila; a type of lungworm. If she had these when first taken in she would have died horribly by now. So, as she hasn't set foot outside, the parasites probably came from the food she was given (some people dig up worms from their garden, or slugs, to feed captive hedgehogs, not knowing these are intermediate hosts for all sorts of parasites). Because the arrival of food was the only shaft of light in her otherwise bleak existence, and it was impossible for her to exercise, she is overweight. Her skin is red and sore and overstretched. She is in a high state of stress; both chronic, long-term from her imprisonment, and from the huge change she has experienced coming here. I've put her in a special large pen, so while she is here being treated for her physical ailments she can get some muscle tone built up. I've called her Liberty, because that is something I am determined she will have, when mended." I'm happy to say although it took quite a few weeks, poor Liberty was successfully rehabilitated and released into a wonderful supportive garden, where she could have a gentle introduction to the big wild world. Since then her confidence has grown to the extent that she has left the garden to live truly wild, but still returns for food, to the safe trusted oasis. If you find a hedgehog of any size out in the day, please immediately ring a trusted, experienced *rescue* for advice. We are always happy to help.