Weak and sick hedgehog babies currently need human help.
But not everyone knows how to deal with the little thorny fellows.
Hedgehog mom Ulrike Kolar from Moosburg gives tips.
District
- Many orphaned and weak hedgehogs are currently found all over the Freising district.
Fast help is needed here, knows Ulrike Kolar, hedgehog mom from Moosburg: "As soon as a hedgehog is lying around, there is great danger." Many citizens want to help the little hedgehogs, but "most people don't know how to handle it", reports Kolar from experience.
“That is why a number of hedgehog children have died of hypothermia, poor nutrition and improper accommodation.” Fly eggs and maggots are also a big problem for the little prickly companions: “It is not very well known that flies lay their eggs on weak animals,” explains the animal lover.
“Some hedgehogs had to be put to sleep because they were completely eaten away.” The Moosburger gives tips on how to help the baby hedgehogs.
Orphaned hedgehog babies, who weigh between 80 and 110 grams and are weak, “need to be warm and cuddly”.
That is why Kolar advises the tiny ones to build accommodation in a garden shed or in the basement - made of cardboard or wood, for example.
These animals also have to be fed: According to Ulrike Kolar, baby cat food (without jelly and sauce) and puppy rearing milk for the very little hedgehogs is optimal.
"Then the body is well looked after." The hedgehog expert advises against scrambled eggs: "They are unsuitable for small hedgehogs."
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Hedgehog mom for 30 years: Ulrike Kolar.
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The small animals must also be examined: Fly eggs on the body can be loosened with salad oil, advises Kolar. If you find maggots in body orifices, you should "go immediately to someone who knows their way around - such as a veterinarian or a hedgehog ward". Her urgent request: "In such cases, never do the doctor yourself."
The Moosburger has been taking care of sick and weak hedgehogs for over 30 years. She currently has around 40 animals in care - with very different problems. Some are small and weak, others have diseases such as skin fungus, purulent limbs or back injuries. And the emergencies don't stop: recently a hedgehog weighing just 65 grams was given away, a little later an animal full of fly eggs and skin fungus. While one needs to be properly nursed, the other needs medical help. And that goes into the money. Ulrike Kolar is all the more pleased when she receives financial support - for example in July from a class at the Montessori school in Freising: the girls and boys collected change and gave it to her in a sack with a letter. "That was a very nice gesture",says Kolar - and a recognition of her work.
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Hedgehog emergency: this animal weighed 65 grams.
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Ulrike Kolar hopes that there will be a lot of people who will nurse hedgehog babies and - as one of the first points of contact in the district - thereby relieve them.
What hedgehog parents need: a cozy nest and fresh water and food every day.
The same applies to the hedgehogs, who look for a shelter to hibernate in autumn.
Kolar's tip for the “simplest and cheapest accommodation”: “Gather up the leaves, stretch a plastic tarpaulin over it and secure it with stones.” Put a shallow bowl with water and offer dry hedgehog food if necessary.
This would help hedgehogs get through the winter safely.
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This hedgehog was handed over full of fly eggs.
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She also advises garden owners not to completely clear away the leaves "so that the hedgehogs can still find something".
Extreme caution is required when burning brushwood piles: “The hedgehogs like to be underneath.” You should also be careful with robotic lawn mowers in the garden so that the animals do not get under the knife.
That happened to Ulrike Kolar's most recent emergency: the hedgehog had to be put down because of his massive injuries from a robot lawn mower.
If you are unsure whether a hedgehog can survive the winter outdoors, Kolar gives you a clue: a normal hedgehog should weigh at least 500 grams at the beginning of November in order to be able to hibernate.
If that is not the case, he needs support.
A rule of thumb is: a hedgehog that is cold does not eat or drink ”.
That is why you should always keep the little fellows warm.
Good to know
Anyone who needs support with the care of hedgehogs or would like to feed an animal can contact Ulrike Kolar: by phone at (0 87 61) 6 03 65 (please speak on the answering machine) or by email to igel_nothilfe_moosburg@gmx.de.
Further information is also available on the website of the Freising Animal Protection Association at www.tierschutzverein-freising.de.
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