Cornwall Hedgehog Rescue Appeals for New Release Sites

Hedgehogs are coming into one Cornwall rescue in greater numbers than before, and the places they are turning up have started to change too. That combination has left Prickles and Paws Hedgehog Rescue short of safe spots to send them once they are well enough to go. So the charity is now asking people across the county to put their gardens forward.

Why the rescue needs more help

Prickles and Paws says admissions are continuing to rise, and the patterns of where hedgehogs are coming from are shifting. To keep up, the charity wants to strengthen its network of approved release sites across Cornwall.

Wherever it can, the rescue returns a rehabilitated hedgehog close to where it was first found. There is a good reason for that. Adults in particular already know the area, including nest sites and water sources, which shortens the adjustment period once they are back out. They may also carry immunity to diseases local to that patch.

When returning a hedgehog to its original spot is not safe or not possible, the charity falls back on its network of carefully chosen release sites to get the animal back to the same general area. That is why it needs sites spread right across the county rather than clustered in one place.

Where the gaps are

The release highlights seven areas where new sites are needed most:

• Penzance
• Camborne
• Redruth
• Truro
• Wadebridge
• Bodmin
• Saltash

The charity’s website lists a wider set of locations it is open to as well, including Marazion, Helston, Hayle, Falmouth, Penryn, Newquay and St Austell. Urban and rural gardens are described as equally valuable, so a town plot can be just as useful as a country one.

What makes a good release site

Sites have to meet a specific set of criteria, and the rescue assesses each one against its own admission records and wildlife data for Cornwall. The main things it looks for are:

• A pre-existing hedgehog population, meaning you are seeing hedgehogs regularly in your garden or at the proposed site. The charity says this is the best indicator of suitable habitat and gives released animals access to mates. It cannot release enough hedgehogs to repopulate an area from scratch.
• At least one hedgehog nest box, though more is better as it raises the chance of one being free when needed.
• No badger activity at the site or in the immediate surrounding area.
• Access to a larger area to roam. Enclosed gardens are not suitable.
• The ability to collect hedgehogs at short notice from Prickles and Paws, within 24 to 48 hours. The charity cannot deliver or use its volunteer drivers for releases, and collections are arranged between 9am and 5.30pm.

The rescue also tries to keep release sites within an hour’s travel to limit stress on the animals. Beyond that, it says, the benefit of returning a hedgehog to a familiar area tends to be cancelled out by the stress of the journey.

If more than one person applies for the same area, the charity will look at all of them and pick the most suitable.

How to apply

Anyone who thinks they meet the criteria can view the full requirements and submit an application on the Prickles and Paws release sites page. The charity is asking people to share the appeal to help fill the gaps on its map.