## 32 Saving Hedghogs

A few days ago, I found a young hedgehog in my garden. It was breathing rapidly and not moving. It was trapped in a hole with vertical walls, probably after being attacked by a cat. I tried to gently move him to a pile of leaves, his natural home, but he grumbled loudly and curled up into a ball. It was clear that he was exhausted and needed help. So I sought help from hedgehog specialists. Information was difficult to find because there are several small associations for saving hedgehogs.

Hedgehogs are often called "the best friend of gardeners". They are very important animals in the ecosystem because they eat many insects and parasites. They are very discreet and cute. That's why I always keep piles of dead leaves in the garden under my bamboo and small trees. The problem is that we also feed stray cats, and hedgehogs love cat food. We put the food on a small promontory so the hedgehogs can't access it. Thankfully, there have been no dead hedgehogs killed by cats this year. But we had to make a shelter for this small hedgehog we found.

On hedgehog lover websites, it's recommended to use a cardboard box with high sides and a hot water bottle or kettle wrapped in a cloth with a towel on top. Place the hedgehog inside using gloves and cover it with another towel. You can then close the box. He needed water, but was unable to drink it. He was lying down, but he reacted when we touched him. We just had to find an animal shelter or care centre for hedgehogs. After the heatwave, many shelters and associations were full of animals in need of care. The first association I could find, which was about 20 km away, told us to send a text message with the location and the animal's weight. They then told us to contact a veterinary clinic that specialises in exotic pets. I phoned them and they said it was OK to take this little animal in.

It took me just half an hour to drive there smoothly. After a visual examination, they took the box: the animal was still alive. I had to fill in a form providing details of where and how I had found him, as well as my contact details. The first 24 hours are the most critical, so the next day, I phoned the clinic for an update. He was OK — or at least still alive — and had been transferred to a specialist association at the veterinary school. I hope he can be cured and go on to live a long and happy life. He was a boy, less than six months old. We did everything we could, and I gave my neighbours all the details and contacts.

Hedgehogs are very fragile. When they try to cross a road at night and see car lights, they panic and curl up into a ball instead of running for shelter. Many of them die before their first birthday (50 to 70%), as they are susceptible to parasites. Heatwaves and heavy rainfall are not good for them. Providing them with water is very useful. You can also provide piles of dead leaves, take care with the grass by keeping it high and maintain hedges, but do not use pesticides. If possible, create small tunnels in the walls between your house and your neighbours'. (And under roads too, but that's not my concern.) Hedgehogs are in real danger due to climate change and human impact on nature.

### To go further : 
=> https://lesptitskipik.fr/detresse_01.html a map and advices for France, Belgium
=> https://biodiversite.wallonie.be/home.html a portal for french speeking belgians

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