Help out a hog! Heatwave sparks hedgehog crisis as wildlife hospitals issue urgent plea to Britain's gardeners

Britons are being urged to put out food and water for hedgehogs as the heatwave leaves the nation's prickly visitors hungry, dehydrated and struggling to survive.

The RSPCA has revealed admissions to its wildlife centres have soared by 56 per cent compared with the same period last year, while wildlife experts at Buckinghamshire's renowned St Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital say the prolonged dry weather is making it increasingly difficult for hedgehogs to find the insects, worms and water they depend on.

The animal welfare charity is now calling on households to become "Wildlife Friends" by leaving out shallow bowls of fresh water and meaty dog or cat food in the evenings to help exhausted hedgehogs through the hot spell.

Last month alone, the RSPCA's four wildlife centres admitted 316 hedgehogs, up from 202 in June 2025. Between January and the end of June this year, 668 hedgehogs were taken into care, a 45 per cent increase on the 462 admitted during the same period last year.

Experts believe the soaring temperatures have baked the ground so hard that prey such as earthworms and slugs have become much harder to find, forcing hedgehogs to travel further in search of food and increasing the risk of dehydration.

Lee Stewart, manager of the RSPCA's Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre in Cheshire, said: "We have a hedgehog crisis at the moment that is affecting all our wildlife centres and the wildlife rehabilitators who help us. The hot weather is a very big problem for hedgehogs as the hard ground reduces their sources of food and water.

"We are getting calls about more juvenile and adult hogs being out during the day and we are seeing many arriving at centres who have become dehydrated and hungry as the temperatures soar. But we simply don't have the capacity to deal with so many at the same time, so we are trying to keep them as healthy as possible out in the wild.

"We would love it if people could act as Wildlife Friends and choose to feed the hedgehogs that visit their homes. By putting out shallow trays of water and tinned cat food - but not fish-based products - people really could be saving lives."

Among the latest arrivals are a dehydrated hedgehog admitted to Stapeley Grange and two distressed hoglets rescued from a Somerset garden before being transferred to the RSPCA's West Hatch Wildlife Centre.

Wildlife experts at St Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital in Haddenham are also urging people to know the signs that a hedgehog is in trouble.

Healthy hedgehogs are nocturnal and should only be active after dark, although females with young may occasionally emerge in the late afternoon to gather nesting material or extra food. Any hedgehog found collapsed on a lawn, wandering aimlessly during the day, or lying out in the open is likely to need urgent help.

The hospital advises anyone who finds a sick or injured hedgehog to wear thick gardening gloves, gently scoop it up into a cardboard box lined with newspaper, provide a towel for it to hide under and, if it feels cold, place a wrapped hot water bottle alongside it while arranging transport to a wildlife rescue centre.

If the hedgehog has to be kept for a short time before being taken for treatment, it should be offered fresh water and a small amount of meaty dog or cat food. Milk should never be given because hedgehogs are lactose intolerant and it can make them seriously ill.

Both charities are also encouraging people to make their gardens more hedgehog-friendly by leaving areas of long grass and wild vegetation, avoiding slug pellets and pesticides, checking bonfires and compost heaps before disturbing them, and ensuring ponds have a simple escape route so hedgehogs can climb out if they fall in.

Verity Miles, wildlife rescue expert at the RSPCA, said: "If a hedgehog appears fit and healthy it is best to leave them outside in the garden. But generally, if you see a hedgehog out during the day then it's likely there is something wrong with them because they are usually nocturnal.

"During dry periods, species like earthworms become scarce as the ground dries out, so hedgehogs may be having to search harder and further for food. If a hedgehog is not injured, circling, staggering or in immediate danger, then it should be left alone, but please do provide some food and water to help them through this very hot weather."

St Tiggywinkles also reminds people that hedgehogs are now classed as Near Threatened in the UK, making simple actions such as providing water, leaving wild corners of the garden and avoiding harmful chemicals more important than ever.

The appeal comes as the RSPCA launches its Cruelty Hurts, Love Rescues fundraising campaign ahead of its busiest period of the year.

On June 24, one of the hottest days of the year, the charity received 4,135 calls from concerned members of the public about animals in need - including many suffering in the heat - a 50 per cent increase on the same date last year.

The charity also revealed it received 6,322 cruelty reports during June, July and August last year - the equivalent of one call every 10 minutes while its emergency line was open - a 64 per cent increase compared with the same summer period in 2021.

Anyone who finds a sick or injured hedgehog can contact their nearest wildlife rescue centre or visit www.helpwildlife.co.uk for advice and details of their closest rehabilitation service.