How Quill-liant! Hedgehog rescue has nursed thousands back to health

We visit Ryston Rachel's Hedgehog Hotel - a self-funded, independent hedgehog rescue in Downham Market

"So this is Gallagher," Rachel tells me, "As you can see he had a nasty strimmer wound, right across his nose and forehead, he was found walking along a busy road in Hunstanton by a lady who stopped to bring him in - so he's one lucky chap.  

"So we've cleaned up the wound, he's had a course of antibiotics - and he's feeling so much better."

I'm at a hedgehog rescue in Downham Market, where there are currently 23 receiving care.

Rachel with Gallagher, who was found on Oasis Way  

"I started this almost 14 years ago, it's just become an all consuming hobby. Last year 548 hedgehogs came in, this year already we're up to more than 70," Rachel continues.

As we chat, she gets a call, another injured hedgehog that a member of the community would like to bring in, "Of course," she tells them.

Rachel helps the animals as well as having a full-time job, "They're wonderful, how can you not help them? They're on the red list now, on their way to being endangered in the wild in the UK, which is just heartbreaking."

At the moment the nocturnal mammal is waking up from hibernation, searching for a mate - and she's got this advice.

"You can add a little hole in your fence so they can travel, add a little bowl of water in the garden, and just think hedgehog before you start strimming or before you put netting in the garden.

"The past three days we've had some in that have been tangled in netting. Think hedgehog - that's our mission really, to just encourage people to be aware."

Then there's a knock at the door, and the injured hedgehog is here, Kez who's brought him in says, "It's out in the day, which is unusual, and looked like it was having problems drinking water, we have a feeding station in the garden so we noticed him."

As Rachel takes a look, I ask what Kez thinks of the work she's doing, "It's marvellous - it's brilliant."

Rachel assessing the new patient

When Kez leaves I ask when Gallagher will be released, "In time he will move to an outdoor hutch, we call it the re-wilding time, then once he's shown to me that he can build a nest, he can do what wild hedgehogs would do - then we can think about releasing him.

"It gets emotional, there will be happy tears with Gallagher. We try to always do what we call pre-release videos - just our way of celebrating each and every one. Because we do get ones that are just too poorly and don't recover."

One of the hedgehogs nursed back to health

"This is 24/7, I get calls all the time, it's complete madness isn't it, but if you can why not?  

"When you get a poorly one, you put them in the incubator, you get them back on track, you give them fluids, and they kind of look at you with those big eyes and you just think right come on kid, we can do this!"

We don't think it's complete madness, we think it's wonderful!