What an enthralling talk at Old Dalby Village Hall tonight by Rachel Thomas. This lovely lady and her colleagues have, for the last five years, devoted huge swathes of their time and energies to protecting and rehabilitating injured and damaged hedgehogs. She and her husband created the Prickleback Urchin Hedgehog Rescue as a charity and have worked tirelessly effecting rescues, nursing hedgehogs back to health where possible and affording their expertise.
Her illustrated talk this evening was enjoyed by over 40 attentive and enthralled guests eager to learn about our native, enigmatic but endangered hedgehog. Who knew a healthy male hog could roam 1.8 kilometres a night? That a female might bear several kittens with different fathers? That the UK has a quarter of Europe’s badger population, a serious hedgehog predator!! That hedgehogs’ life cycle is altering as our climate changes, their food sources are at risk because of our increasing love affair with concrete, that their population has reduced by 50% over the last 75 years?
It was good to see youngsters in the audience and to hear them ask incisive and pertinent questions. Hopefully, Rachel suggested, they would help spread the word to their friends and family how the average household can help make a difference in fighting the Prickleback Urchin decline.
If you would like to find out how you could easily help these lovely hogs with just a few alterations to your garden, please find them at FaceBook or on Instagram . You can also help by visiting their Website and making a donation to this valued charity.
