Dru Burdon, the head of the charity which rescues and cares for sick, injured and orphaned hedgehogs before releasing them back into the wild when they are fit again, has been rescuing hedgehogs since 1992 and has cared for thousands of little mammals in her time.
After a busy and tragic summer last year – Dru and her volunteers had to look after 119 hedgehogs, the majority of whom had been injured by strimmers – Dru is urging islanders to take care when doing work in their garden.
Pictured: Hedgehogs will be very hungry and thirsty after hibernating- so try to provide them with food and water.
She warned that, in springtime, islanders could see hedgehogs lying in the grass, out of their nests. While it might look as if the animals are simply “sunbathing” after months in the dark, Dry recommends putting them in a box, using gloves, and to keep them inside, out of the sunshine which can be harmful to them.
Here advice includes being cautious when clearing overgrown areas, covering drains and picking up any discarded netting on the ground. Islanders should also make sure that there is an escape route out of their pools and ponds as they are a potential hazard that hogs might fall in.
Earlier this week, Dru shared on the Group’s Facebook page the upsetting news that ‘Anne,’ a hog that had been released on 23 March, was the first strimmer victim of the year. Sadly, her injuries were such that she had to be put t0 sleep, prompting Dru to urge all islanders to be careful to avoid a summer like 2018.