Ealing Hedgehog Friends

11/09/2025

The Sept/Oct Hedgehog Diary info is up in Boston Manor Park, opposite The Potting Shed Cafe 🙂
Here is the copy:
It’s been a very tough summer for hedgehogs, with 4 heatwaves and very little rain. This means no fresh water eg in puddles, and very dry soil which makes it hard for them to forage for beetles, caterpillars etc.
As we approach Autumn, hedgehogs need to fatten up for the coming winter hibernation. This is especially important for hedgehogs born this Spring, who need to grow to about 650gr in weight to be able to survive.
Late-born young hoglets have a particularly difficult task to grow big enough in time for hibernation. If born in August they will be leaving the maternity nest soon and it's a dangerous time for them.
DOG WALKERS: Please be careful that your dog isn’t digging around a hedgehog nest
IF YOU SEE A HEDGEHOG OUT IN THE DAY IT NEEDS HELP!
Particularly a young hoglet, about the size of an avocado.
Please make a note of where you see it (What3Words is perfect, or take a photo) tell the rangers here and contact [email protected] who can rescue the hedgehog, and search for any siblings in the vicinity if it’s a young one
SPEED IS OF THE ESSENCE, PLEASE DON’T DELAY

07/09/2025

Looking forward to seeing you all at Brentford Festival in Blondin Park from noon until 6pm. Come and say hello.

05/09/2025

Looking forward to seeing you all at Brentford Festival on Sunday. We're going to be near the First Aid tent and Police. Not sure if we're supposed to read anything into that!

25/08/2025

THE HOT DRY WEATHER CONTINUES!
We had to rescue 2 dehydrated hedgehogs this weekend, there isn't enough fresh water out there for wildlife.
If you know you have hedgehogs visiting your garden or allotment, here is how you can help:
Put some water out for them, in a SHALLOW BOWL (can be as easy as a plant-saucer, make sure to keep it topped up)
Offer them some food (wet dog or cat food, or cat nibbles). Ideally, you put them in a hedgehog feeding station (there is info in this group how to build one).
NEVER milk or bread - these are hedgehog killers!
Mealworms are not good for hogs (weakens their bones).
In hot and dry weather, the ground dries out. Hedgehogs starve because they can't dig for earthworms and ground beetles. And they get very thirsty.
If you see a hedgehog out in the day, its always a sign something is wrong, please contact us at [email protected]
Thank you 🦔

20/08/2025

17/07/2025

URGENT: HELP US FIND ORPHANED HOGLETS IN NORTH HANWELL (around Benham Road)

WE NEED TO FIND THEM TODAY!

There was a dead hedgehog on Benham Road in North Hanwell. She was a nursing mum and we need to find her hoglets (there was a sighting of a lone hoglet, but the little one was not captured).

Which Neighbourhood?
Please check your gardens (look under bushes) if you live in the following area: Square of:
* Benham Road
* Westcott Crescent
* Hall Drive
* Greenford Avenue
* Hale Walk
* Lile Crescent
* Bordar's Walk

What we are looking for:
* Small hoglets on their own, roaming through your garden or under bushes (you may also hear them peeping and calling their mum).
* Size; about the size of a large avocado

If you seen one:
* Please immediately alert us on [email protected], even late at night.
* Ideally take the hoglet in (Cardboard box with a towel in it). The side walls have to be about 30cm high. No need to offer food, they cannot really lap from a dish yet.

IMPORTANT:
* If you see hoglets in your garden and the mum is close by, do not pick them up. This will be a different litter. Before you pick up a hoglet; make very sure that it is on its own.
* Do not give them any food, specially not milk. Milk will kill them. If you want you can offer some water in a very shallow dish, such as a jam char lid.
* If you see any larger hedgehogs when you are searching, do not pick them up if they are out at night! We are not looking for hedgehogs that are size of a large mango or bigger.

Why is it urgent?
* These hoglets are about 4 weeks old and should still be with mum until the age of about 6-7 weeks.
* They cannot mend for themselves and will be easy prey for a predator.
* They have not learned to hunt and find their own food yet, and they still very much will rely on hand-feeding now. Do not attempt handfeeding yourself, this needs an expert and you cannot use any regular milk, kitten milk or baby formula
Thanks

07/07/2025

The July & August Hedgehog Diary entry in Boston Manor Park is out now, opposite the lovely Potting Shed cafe.
Info on the board is below in comments

28/06/2025

HEDGEHOGS ARE DYING IN THE HEAT WAVE.

PLEASE PUT WATER OUT FOR HEDGEHOGS.

Use a shallow dish (such as a plant saucer or similar) and top it off every evening.

No milk, no bread, no mealworms, no peanuts.

Even if you don't see hedgehogs in your garden, they likely visit at night if they can get through your fence (we have rescued hedgehogs all over Ealing; they do live here!).

FOOD IS ALSO HARD TO COME BY IN THE HOT WEATHER

The ground is rock hard, so hedgehogs use a lot of energy when digging for food. Earth worms and beetles are well hidden away.

You could offer wet cat or dog food.

Wet food is better in hot weather, as it has some moister in it already. Or use dry cat nibbles. No need to buy special hedgehog food.

19/06/2025

HOT WEATHER ALERT!
it's going to be 30 degrees over the next few days!
Please spare a thought for wildlife and especially hedgehogs.
If you know you have hedgehogs visiting your garden or allotment, here is how you can help:
Put some water out for them, in a SHALLOW BOWL (can be as easy as a plant-saucer, make sure to keep it topped up)

Offer them some food (wet dog or cat food, or cat nibbles). Ideally, you put them in a hedgehog feeding station (there is info in this group how to build one).
NEVER milk or bread - these are hedgehog killers!
Mealworms are not good for hogs (weakens their bones).

In hot and dry weather, the ground dries out. Hedgehogs starve because they can't dig for earthworms and ground beetles. And they get very thirsty.
If you see a hedgehog out in the day, its always a sign something is wrong, please contact us at [email protected]
Thank you 🦔

19/06/2025

ALL THESE HOGLETS WERE ORPHANED BY HUMAN IMPACT.

Please help! And talk to your friends and neighbours about Hedgehog Safety.

So far Ealing Hedgehog Friends dealt with:

* Hedgehog-mum killed by strimmer (check before you mow!)
* Hedgehog-mum killed by a car (obviously not sticking to 20miles speed limit in a neighbourhood road)
* Hedgehog-mum locked away from her babies by a neighbour who closed a hole in the fence that served as a hedgehog highway.
* Nest destroyed by gardening work, mother did not return
* Nest disturbed by dog in park, mother did not return

Some of the babies are now dead. Some are at Wildlife Aid for initial care.

HELP US HELP HEDGEHOGS:
* If you see a hoglet on its own, smaller than a large mango, it should still be with its mum.
* If you see a hedgehog out during the day, it very likely needs help fast. It will be sick or injured, and then die of heat stroke or maggots

Please secure it, or send us exact location with What3words, or pin of google map. There is lots of info on how to rescue a hedgehog or hoglet on the website of Ealing Hedgehog Friends.
In the very rare case that you found a foraging mum out in the day (she will move fast, with a purpose, and look strong and healthy), we will release immediately.

TO GET HELP FROM US:
[email protected]

TO HELP US SAVE MORE HOGLETS:
paypal.me/ealinghedgehogfriend

15/06/2025

Urgent help needed.

We have had a report of a hedgehog out in the day near the Hanwell bottom lock (number 97 on the Meadow side) which will probably need help. One of our volunteers has been down and can't find it. They have left a shoe box on the lock to put it in. If you are down by the canal in the next couple of days and see the hedgehog please put it in the shoe box and take it home. Then urgently contact us on our email helpline [email protected] and one of our volunteers will come and pick it up. By doing this you could be saving the hedgehogs's life.

10/06/2025

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: to help with info-flier distribution

Sadly, we had three rescues in the last ten days that involved hedgehogs with cutting wounds that might have come from garden tools or litter. One of the hogs has sadly passed away, the other two are still at wildlife hospitals fighting for their lives.

This got some of our volunteers going - and they created a specific flier, which they will put through mailboxes, and place in park cafes and local businesses. Thanks, Janet, Ann and Jess for initiating this.

WE NEED HELP DISTRIBUTING OUR FLIERS

We will start with this communication in the Pitshanger area (home to many hedgehogs!). Later, we will custom-design the fliers to other areas where we found injured hedgehogs in the past. We will also create a "stop littering" flier to raise more awareness that litter can kill hedgehogs!

If you like to help us with this project, please get in touch, the best way is sending an email to [email protected].

WE ALSO NEED HELP WITH PRINTING COSTS

If you have no time but a bit of extra cash - please help us with the printing costs for this and other educational tools. A little can help a lot! Many thanks (for bank link please email us), if you can, use paypal:
paypal.me/Ealinghedgehogfriend