It's hedgehog day! 🦔

and I thought it would be the perfect time to give you all an update on Conkers the hedgehog.

Last Summer I was contacted by a friend of mine who had found a sick baby hedgehog that was disoriented and walking down a busy road in the middle of the day. She was extremely dehydrated and underweight and I spent the following months caring for the prickly pal, to get her back to full health and ready for re-release.

I grew up in the middle of the country, outside Dromore and our childhood neighbours, Linda and Terry, always had an amazing garden which they had developed into a wildlife friendly space! Conkers (as our little prickly friend became known) moved to a soft release space with Linda and Terry at the start of September. They monitored and fed Conkers for a few days before she was released. For a few days she returned to the area (and we saw her movements through our camera) and they provided supplementary feeding before she finally headed off into the countryside and back to the wild.

Although it’s always sad to say goodbye to an animal that you have rescued and spent time caring for, I am delighted that Conkers is now healthy and is off to lead her life.

When we think of animals that are in trouble we often think of iconic animals from far off places but our very own species are struggling and need our help.

𝙃𝙚𝙙𝙜𝙚𝙝𝙤𝙜 𝙥𝙤𝙥𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙮 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 ‘𝙬𝙚𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨’ 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝘼𝙇𝙇 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥 𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙝𝙚𝙙𝙜𝙚𝙝𝙤𝙜𝙨, 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙜𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙨.

• cut small holes in your garden fence to create 'hedgehog highways' to allow easy access.

• plant wildflowers and plants that attract insects and bugs which are hedgehogs favourite snacks.

• NEVER use slug pellets as these can poison hedgehogs and also remove their food source.

• build or provide a hedgehog house filled with dried leaves for hedgehogs to shelter or hibernate.

• leave out food and water for hedgehogs including cat / dog food (not fish flavoured).

• NEVER leave out milk or bread because they are allergic and this will make the hedgehogs ill.

• if you spot a hedgehog that looks like it needs help, call a professional before intervening. I have some footage of Conkers after her release and will share it over the next few weeks.

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