Hedgehog First Response Unit, Monmouth

21/07/2024

Our day started early this morning with two separate callouts to hoglets in need of urgent care. Both are now in rescues and getting the help they need so we're keeping everything crossed they will survive. Huge thanks to our volunteers doing a fab job right now as we're very short on help (see our pinned post if you'd like to get involved with taking calls and/or transporting poorly 🦔), and we appreciate the finders acting so quickly. Thank you 👍🦔🦔🐾🐾

17/07/2024

We are receiving quite a few calls about hedgehogs out in the day and wanted to share this really helpful video showing a great example of when this is absolutely fine and the 🦔 should be left alone. As you can see, this Mum is 'moving with purpose' - keeping to the edges, moving easily and quickly and in this case also carrying nesting material. Whilst hedgehogs are nocturnal wild animals, there will be times such as these when they (usually Mums!) are out in the day gathering nesting material, or even taking a breather and having a drink of water before returning to her litter.
Of course, a hedgehog out in the day that appears lethargic, injured, or surrounded by flies will need rescuing and given urgent treatment, so please scoop up carefully wearing gloves, pop in a high sided box, cover with a light blanket, offer water only, and contact your nearest rescue or our hotline. Thanks so much for keeping an eye on our prickly friends 💚🦔💚

17/07/2024

A busy morning yesterday as we were called on to help a hoglet with a suspected broken leg, and an adult 🦔 with breathing problems who was discovered had actually given birth to hoglets overnight 😲 Mum was left alone for now to care for her little ones 🐾🐾🐾🐾and the hoglet is with Vale Wildlife Hospital & Rehabilitation Centre Huge thanks to Amanda from Forest of Dean Wildlife Transport Volunteers in helping with the transportation - it's great to be working together to help our amazing wildlife survive and thrive 💚

14/07/2024

We are currently recruiting new volunteers for our First Response Unit to help take calls on our hotline, and/or transport poorly hedgehogs to rescue centres. If you have a genuine interest in wanting to help hedgehogs, are keen to learn, and have some regular free time you can commit, we'd love to hear from you! Training and equipment provided.

Please email [email protected] for more information. Thank you 🦔🦔🐾🐾

13/07/2024

A busy 24 hours here with callouts to a hoglet on its own and a juvenile out in the day. After advice from professional rescues, both were safely transported to the Vale Wildlife Hospital & Rehabilitation Centre and are now in their care. Huge thanks to our volunteers for all their time and dedication in helping our prickly friends 🦔🦔🐾🐾

30/06/2024

Thank you again to our volunteers for handling calls to the hotline over the last week. Hoglet season is in full swing, and these little ones were rescued following careful advice, and transported to Vale Wildlife Hospital & Rehabilitation Centre by Soph Williams after the nest was disturbed and Mum abandoned it. We'll try to keep you all updated on how they're doing, but we know that the hedgehog taken in the previous week is still having treatment due to an internal parasite infection, but doing well. Keeping our 🤞 for these little ones and all 🦔 in care at the moment.
If you do accidentally disturb a hedgehog nest containing hoglets, please call us or your nearest rescue straight away for advice. It's important to wait to see if Mum returns, however more often they don't so the next steps will be crucial. Thank you for staying vigilant to 🦔🦔🐾🐾

25/06/2024

It's still incredibly hot out there, and the sunny weather is set to stay for a while, so hedgehogs and all wildlife would really appreciate easy access to fresh water every day. If you can, please pop out several shallow dishes, and check again early evening for our nocturnal friends. Also a reminder, if you do have a hedgehog house, please make sure it is positioned in the shade as temperatures can climb steeply inside during the daytime. Thank you from all the 🦔🦔 and wildlife 😊

18/06/2024

A very busy 24 hours here at the FRU. Thank you so much to anyone calling the hotline who has discovered a hedgehog out in the day - your swift actions, and the support of our volunteers really will save their little lives 🦔🐾. One of our experienced rescue/rehab centre contacts often posts this up as a reminder of just how poorly a hedgehog is by the time it's seen out in the day, so please don't delay in getting it to safety (high-sided box, warmth, water but no food) and calling your nearest rescue or our hotline. Thank you 🦔🐾🦔🐾

09/06/2024

Huge thanks to all our volunteers, and of course the wonderful support from Wye Valley National Landscape 🦔🐾

Bringing Volunteers' Week to a close we couldn't forget the amazing volunteers from the Hedgehog First Response Unit. This group of volunteers completed their wild hedgehog first aid training last year and have been busy responding to calls since Christmas when the Hotline number - 01600 605125 - went live. Thanks to their work over the past six months many hedgehogs have been rescued in the Wye Valley.

The Hedgehog First Response Unit was set up by Dylan Allman, our Hedgehog Champion, who has done so much to support our priority species work. In fact, the First Response Unit was mentioned on BBC Springwatch this week as Dylan was shortlisted as one of 16 finalists under the age of 18 for the wildlife heroes award! Many congratulations Dylan and a huge 'Thank You' to Dylan and the Hedgehog First Response volunteers.

05/06/2024

Great to see the First Response Unit have a mention on BBC Springwatch yesterday evening, as Dylan was shortlisted from hundreds across the UK to 16 finalists under the age of 18 for the wildlife heroes award. Congratulations to everyone shortlisted and to Reuben, the overall winner for his amazing reptile & amphibian conservation work 🐍🦔🐾💚 (Lorraine)

04/06/2024

During we want to say a huge thank you to the wonderful people volunteering with the Monmouth Hedgehog First Response Unit. We really appreciate your time, and making a difference in helping 🦔🦔 survive and thrive. Thank you!

26/05/2024

Another busy weekend of calls here, with our volunteers responding very quickly. Thank you to everyone keeping an eye out for poorly or injured 🦔. We thought it might be helpful to have these top three tips posted showing what to do if you spot a hedgehog injured and/or out in the day*. The key here is to not delay in seeking support. As soon as you have the hedgehog in a secure space, call your nearest rescue or our hotline straight away. The sooner we can get the 🦔 the specialist care it needs, the better chance it has of surviving and eventually being returned to its natural habitat.

*if you see a hedgehog in the day that is keeping to the sides, moving with purpose (i.e. not lethargic), and possibly carrying nesting material. This will be a nesting Mum and should not be disturbed.

19/05/2024

Superb advice on how to rescue a hedgehog seen out in the day while you're waiting to hear from the rescue centre. Always use gloves, and please only offer water. The only occasion when a hedgehog seen out in the day should not be rescued is if it is keeping to the sides of hedgerows and 'moving with purpose' - it could be a nesting Mum, so always take advice as quickly as possible.
Don't forget you can ring the First Response Helpline if you're in/around the Monmouth/Chepstow area. Thank you 🦔🐾

Caring for a hedgehog until you get to a rescue:

➡ Use a deep sided plastic box or spare cardboard box
➡ Place a hot water bottle inside with a towel or blanket
➡ Carefully place the hedgehog inside the box, add a little bowl of water or cat food if you can
➡ Keep noise levels down to avoid any further stress
➡ Take the hedgehog to your nearest wildlife rescue whilst still in the box

19/05/2024

It's a scorcher of a day today ☀☀ and important to stay hydrated. The same applies to wildlife who will thank you for putting out shallow dishes of water in the garden. Hedgehogs in particular are in urgent need of fresh water daily. Thank you 🦔🦔🐾🐾

12/05/2024

This is heartbreaking💔 to watch, but is the reality when 🦔 develop Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD) from consuming too many mealworms, peanuts, and sunflower hearts. Best advice if you want to put out some food for hedgehogs is to stick with kitten biscuits (they love the crunch, and if the first ingredient is protein then we're onto a winner!) or meaty cat/dog food. A shallow dish of water, particularly during this warmer will also be a lifesaver. Thank you 🦔🐾🦔🐾

10/05/2024

Really helpful photos here from Help For Hogs showing hedgehogs suffering with fly strike. This is one of the few times that adding warmth through a heat pad/hot water bottle is not helpful as it will make the fly eggs hatch even quicker. The best course of action is, as always, to get the 🦔 to a rescue as quickly as possible. If in doubt, please call the Monmouth First Response Team or the rescue directly. Thank you 🦔🐾

08/05/2024

Please see message below from Samantha’s Little Prickles Hedgehog Rescue looking for local businesses who can act as a drop off point for old newspapers and food for hedgehogs. As she kindly covers the Monmouth area, it would be great if we can find a few places who are able to support this in/around Monmouth. We are keen to also find places who are happy to stock Dylan's free 'Be Hedgehog Aware' stickers for strimmers and mowers, and of course some A6 postcards about the First Response Unit - the more people know, the better chance our 🦔 have of getting the urgent care they need if found out in the day and/or injured. Please comment below or tag in if you can help. Thank you. (Admin)

🦔🦔🦔🦔 Drop of points wanted🦔🦔🦔🦔

I’m looking for local business who would be interested in being a drop off point for supplies of mainly newspapers and food for the hedgehogs. If this is something you’d be interested in please email me [email protected] so we can discuss it further.

I cover the Forest of Dean, Ross-on-wye, Ledbury and Monmouth. If there is any one interested in volunteering to collect items from drop off points which would free me up to be in the rescue more to help with admission please email me [email protected] and I’ll send you a volunteer form.

Thank you again for you continued support 🦔💜 x

06/05/2024

Great information and advice here from Samantha’s Little Prickles Hedgehog Rescue who have officially opened for new 🦔admissions in Newent.

05/05/2024

Good morning everyone!
Today marks the start of Hedgehog Awareness Week 🦔🦔🐾 which is a great opportunity to spread the word about how we can all do our bit to help hedgehogs (and other wildlife) in our communities. The theme this year is 'Welcome Wildlife' and there are lots of top tips about how you can do just that over at

Hedgehog Awareness Week, 5th – 11th May 20247th March 2024/in Recent News/by BHPS Welcome Wildlife this Hedgehog Awareness Week The British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) is delighted to announce that Hedgehog Awareness Week 2024 is happening 5th – 11th May.  The annual event highlights t...

04/05/2024

WARNING: Graphic image.
The ☀ is shining, and it's a beautiful start to the Bank Holiday. Sadly, this is often not good news for hedgehogs 🦔 as gardeners turn their attention to strimming and mowing ⚠
Hedgehogs are nocturnal and will be sleeping during the day. They make their nests out of leaves, twigs etc. which are very flimsy (see photos of real life examples). A hedgehog's natural response to danger is to curl up in a ball so they are in real danger as you can see from this photograph (this is a strimmer injury).
Please, always check for hedgehogs and other wildlife before strimming or mowing. If you've accidentally injured a hedgehog, or see one out in the day, call our hotline or a rescue centre straight away - don't delay. Thank you 🦔🐾

28/04/2024

FREE garden packs are now available for anyone interested. These could be good for encouraging biodiversity back to a neglected area perhaps? Dylan

Local Places for Nature is back! Apply now and help us restore nature on your doorstep

20/04/2024

With such lovely weather forecast this weekend, ☀☀ it's the perfect time to be out and about in the garden. Do please keep an eye out for hedgehog🦔 nests, and check carefully in long grass, compost heaps, or around hedges before starting work. If you need a reminder, please consider putting a sticker on your strimmer/mower - they're free, with just a small charge for P&P and (I hope) coming to a Monmouth shop near you very soon. Dylan

I'm delighted to be make available these 'Be Hedgehog Aware' stickers to the general public to put on gardening equipment machines such as strimmers and mowers, regardless of the brand, thanks to the generosity of Hyundai Power Products - the first company to have 100,000 machines coming off their p...

17/04/2024

Just a quick update on our recent rescues - thanks to HedgehogHelpline for their wonderful care of a male🦔 found out in the day in Wyesham yesterday with a parasite burden. He's responding to treatment so we're hopeful of a good recovery.

Sadly, the other one also found in Wyesham didn't make it, but the one in Monmouth town centre is doing well after treatment for his back injury. It's always sad when our rescued 🦔 don't make it, but responding quickly, making them as comfortable and pain-free as possible is still crucial and we thank everyone keeping an eye out for our prickly friends. Dylan

06/04/2024

A busy day today. Thank you so much to everyone who has called in and spotted a hedgehog in need. One already on its way over to Vale Wildlife Hospital & Rehabilitation Centre from Tintern (thanks to our volunteer Kelly), and another over in Monmouth which Mary, also one of our volunteers, has collected and found a place for with the HedgehogHelpline.

Just a reminder that if you do see a hedgehog out in the day it almost always means it is very poorly (the exception to this will be a nesting Mum who moves quickly and stays close to hedges, but we're not in that season yet), so please don't delay popping it carefully in a high-sided box with an old towel and a shallow dish of water. Best not to feed it anything until it has been seen by a rescue. Call the helpline, gives us as much information as you can, and keep it somewhere dark and quiet until one of our volunteers can collect.

Thanks so much to all of you keeping an eye out for our prickly friends - we really appreciate it 🦔🦔🐾🐾

29/03/2024

Congratulations to all the Points of Light award winners. It was a real surprise to be chosen to receive this, and an opportunity to raise awareness about the help our 🦔 need on a national scale. You can read more about this and how I have dedicated the award to all the volunteer rescue centres across the UK here https://www.pointsoflight.gov.uk/hedgehog-aware/
Dylan

23/03/2024

If you're out and about in the garden this weekend, please do check for hedgehogs before tidying up and/or getting the strimmer out. Hedgehogs sleep in the day, and their natural defence is to curl up rather than run away, and sadly suffer dreadful injuries, often fatal each year. I launched the 'Be Hedgehog Aware' campaign to help people remember to check by having these stickers on their garden machines. They're free with just a small charge for p&p. I'm hoping to get them into some local Monmouth shops soon so you can pick them up for free :) Thank you! Dylan 🦔🐾🐾Dylan

22/03/2024

Hedgehogs are definitely surfacing now Spring is here! It's a crucial time for them to build up their strength and recover weight they will have lost during hibernation. Please help by putting out shallow dishes of water as hydration is as important as food. If you want to help further, then a dish of kitten biscuits (check the first ingredient is meat rather than cereal) will also be most welcome ❤
Thank you 🦔🦔🐾🐾

12/03/2024

We're pleased to share news of this taster session for young people, taking place the first weekend after the end of term. I'll also be there talking all things 🦔🦔🐾 🐾 Dylan

09/03/2024

Warning: graphic photos of hedgehog injuries from strimmers.

Spring is around the corner, and with it more of us will be spending time in the garden, perhaps tidying up from Winter, clearing away the debris, but please remember hedgehogs will need a safe space to sleep during the day, as well as a good source of food during their nocturnal activities. There are lots of simple things you can do to help them, such as:

* leaving part of the garden to nature (brambles, nettles, and long grass are popular with 🦔)

*building a small log pile - a great natural food source;

*keeping netting at least 1ft off the ground;

*always checking for sleeping 🦔 and other wildlife before you start work.

I was sent these photographs this week - two hedgehogs in the same area had been injured by a strimmer because no-one had checked before they started work. Both were avoidable injuries, though on this occasion I'm pleased to say 'Tumble' and 'Chopper' are responding well to antibiotic and wound treatment at a rescue centre. Thousands of others each year are not so fortunate.

Thanks so much for reading this, and for all your support. Dylan.

09/03/2024

Last week, I gave a talk to a brilliant group of Cub Scouts in Shirenewton. They were all really enthusiastic to learn what they could do to help hedgehogs, and were already very knowledgeable! I'm hoping lots of them will sign up to be 'Hedgehog Champions' (it's free and easy to do at Hedgehog Street https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/register/ ) and looking forward to other talks in the diary at community groups, gardening clubs, and schools. It's going to be a busy year alongside my A levels! Dylan.