Not only lawnmowers, cars and other animals pose a life-threatening danger for young hedgehogs. Curiosity and ignorance often lead to the prickly four-legged friends suffering and even dying.
Radebeul/Zwickau (dpa/sn) - If Mama Hedgehog is caught by a robotic lawnmower while looking for food, run over by a car or killed by another animal, her offspring has no choice but to take care of herself. "Some animals don't even weigh 50 grams when they crawl out of their nest," says Sandra Kühnert from the hedgehog sanctuary in Zwickau.
It's crazy at the moment, says Kühnert. Countless animals were handed over to the hedgehog emergency helper and her colleagues, badly injured, hypothermic and half-dead. At peak times, the association, which is mainly funded by donations, received ten calls a day - some of them late at night. "Sometimes people almost pressure us to take an animal. We're almost overrun."
The situation is similar in the Igelhilfe in Radebeul near Dresden: "We are crawling on our gums," says an employee of the association, who does not want to be named. Most hedgehog babies are born between August and September. The team of twelve is currently caring for several hundred animals. "Our station is completely overcrowded." Saxony-wide there are too few contact points for finders of the prickly four-legged friends. The largest are the stations in Radebeul and Zwickau.
There are different reasons why so many young hedgehogs are in need, explains Kühnert: "The mothers run more and find less. When in doubt, they leave their young behind or die looking for something to eat."
Many hedgehogs also died in agony as a result of incorrect or lack of care by private individuals. "For example, we recently had a family where the children just wanted to see how the baby hedgehog was developing. That's why they didn't bring it to us." At some point the young animal was brought to the hedgehog station, but too late: "Unfortunately I couldn't do anything more, the animal died shortly afterwards."
Orphaned, injured and sick hedgehogs are in need, as well as those who weigh less than 500 grams at the beginning of November or are still active after the onset of winter, according to a leaflet from the Pro Igel association. If you find an animal, you should write down the date, time, weight and location of the find. The animals can be offered canned cat food, scrambled eggs without spices and water to eat. Dairy products, fruit and vegetables, among other things, are taboo because the insectivores cannot digest them. If a hedgehog is fit again, it should be released again at the place where it was found.
Despite the good will of many hedgehog friends, there is often simply a lack of understanding for the needs of hedgehogs, says the native of Zwickau. "For example, we've seen animals being fed chocolate or cola." However, the association cannot accept all animals. With advice and examinations, Kuehnert and her team also support care at home. They also mediated animals to other care stations in Saxony, for example in Lugau (Erzgebirge district) and Altenburg (Altenburger Land district). "We always try to help, but sometimes it just doesn't work," complains the Igelnothelfer.
