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Home Forums Carers / rescuing a hedgehog autumn juvenile Reply To: autumn juvenile

#8249

To be frank I don’t really know what you want here. I don’t want to get into an argument on here with anyone, I am a very experienced rehabilitator and only advise when asked. At the end of the day it’s up to you how to proceed.
Pat Morris also mentions the need for brown fat in order for the animal to rouse itself out of hibernation. It needs both as I’m sure you will have read.
As with humans hogs need to build fat stores in a sensible way – when we take hogs into captivity we disrupt their ‘normal’ uptake of nutrients and how they lay them down into their bodies. It is very common for captive hogs to get fat in a bad way.
If you plan to let them hibernate then you will need to make sure they are housed outside where they are cold, although perhaps sheltered from extreme weather. But be aware in captivity hogs will not always hibernate.
Hedgehogs have to get themselves ready for hibernation – they effectively detox their systems over a period of time.
You will need to leave a permanant source of food/water
I repeat again that at the weight your hogs are I would not release – I would overwinter and release in spring.

Hedgehog