Hedgehog saved from Herefordshire shop bin

Herefordshire Wildlife Rescue, in Bodenham, has numerous stories of interesting animals that have ended up in tricky situations.

But recently its co-founder Sasha Norris met Cesca Meynell at the One Stop shop in Credenhill where she had found a young hedgehog in netting from a bin.

Ms Meynell had travelled from Pontrillas to help Dr Norris remove the netting.

She would normally have done this on a heated pad in our animal treatment room, but she was concerned that the hedgehog might be choking as the netting was all around his face, legs, and body, said Dr Norris.

Hedgehog being cared for by the Herefordshire Wildlife Rescue (Image: Herefordshire Wildlife Rescue)

RELATED NEWS:

• Owl ‘ripped’ and ‘ragged’ by glue trap in Herefordshire leaves its mark
• Tribute to loved founder of Herefordshire animal rescue
• Four young dogs looking for forever homes in Herefordshire
• Pictures: firefighters rescue startled horse from Hereford brook

A video shows him walking off back into his garden after he had a couple of nights at the centre to make sure there were no ill effects of the netting.

“This soft netting used for vegetables, fruit, and similarly netting for goals and compost heaps causes so many injuries and death to wildlife,” said Dr Norris.

“It’s an example of how small things we do in our homes and gardens make a massive difference both positive and negative to wildlife.”

If people want to help hedgehogs eat as much as organic food as possible, she said.

“This is because organic food is proven to allow insects and other wildlife to flourish.”

Any chemicals you use to kill insects in the garden are also killing animals who eat insects including hedgehogs, swallows, and songbirds.

OTHER NEWS:

• Mum shocked by Hereford shop's back-to-school display
• Hundreds gathered in Herefordshire town to welcome in King Charles
• 'Flamboyant' and successful owner of Herefordshire DRM Bus dies

To make their nests, hedgehogs need tree leaves and thorny, dense vegetation to be safe. They gather up the leaves and use them to make a duvet, said Dr Norris.

“Tree leaves may slow down your train, and cause your driveway to become slippery, but they also are the bedding hedgehogs use to hibernate all winter and keep their babies warm in the spring.”

Without trees and insects, hedgehogs can’t live, and they are going extinct in the UK.

“It’s not difficult to help them,” she said.

“We just need focus more on the beauty and to be more tolerant of the inconvenience of large leaf-dropping trees and shrubs. Do not be minimalist in your garden.

“As many wild plants as possible, ideally ‘native’ ones which harbour the insects which hedgehogs flourish on and avoid soft plastic netting of all types.”