East Sussex WRAS

Not much cleaning to do with the shed hogs this morning as 4 of them are hibernating again! Luckily Barney & Orville are wide awake who were the longest hibernators & had the most weight to put back on. But Mr Tickle who I was planning to get out in a few days has gone back to sleep, (he is over 940g still despite hibernating all winter), Funghi, Magic Roundabout & Zebedee who are all much lighter, steadfastly refused to come out last night which was the 3rd chilly night in a row here. Wild hogs were up & about though looking at the signs left behind K x

love the names of them ...

Hogs Seadra, Aladdin, Barney, Custard & Top Cat went home last night. Mr Whippy & Andy Pandy are going back tonight, Orville, Victoria Plum, Tinsel, Buzz & Champagne are going home tomorrow night, Dangermouse & Cranberry are going on Friday & also hoping to get Trevor out to Seaford on Thursday & hoping to hear from finders of Mangosteen, Bill & Cheddar to get them home this week as well. Was going to get Mr Prickles out as he had been awake for a week after 4 months asleep, but he has nodded off again. K x

Buzz off home to her garden last night, joining the many others who visit & the garden of one of our past volunteers

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Orville, released home tonight - our photographers dream this Winter, always relaxed & happy to pose for a photo, whether at 200g or 900g :-) The most laid back dream of a hog. We will miss you, good luck to you & your sister Gordon who was released last week

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Orville, one of WRAS's "Too Small to Hibernate" hedgehogs.

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With the Winter finally on it's way out in hedgehog terms, can I just say a public MASSIVE THANK YOU to all our volunteers who have worked so hard in looking after our 120 hogs this Winter, as well as all the other casualties. That is the volunteers at the centre, those who have had hogs at home to overwinter, people answering the phones, our rescuers who have been picking the casualties up & of course everyone who has also been helping to release them. This includes the wonderful members of the public who have been caring enough to call us about injured ones & have even brought them to us, our collected them to release them back home & have even helped is out over Xmas so our volunteers could have a break. Without you all these 120 little souls would not have survived to go back to the wild & make lots of new little hedgehogs this Spring. This has been our busiest Winter ever & we still have over 30 hogs to release once they have put on a little post hibernation weight. THANK YOU ALL Kathy xx

Desperately need the nights to warm up now as too cold for releases again. Have 7 at the centre ready to go, another 4 at home & 3 with volunteers all ready. Many others just a week off release. Really need the space now with Spring here & it getting busier with all the other species coming in, as well as poorly hogs now coming in from the wild after hibernation

A message from Nichola who found Grape the hedgehog who had been re released in her garden a few weeks ago but sadly died from his injuries after a strimmer wound in another garden. Her children are going to try to raise awareness locally in Grape's memory

'If using a strimmer in your garden this summer please check the undergrowth for hedgehogs first please. This is Grape who was released back into our garden 2 weeks ago after the brilliant WRAS Wildlife Rescue looked after him over winter but he sadly died yesterday from a strimmer wound which he had picked up in another garden. If you find a hedgehog out in the daytime then call WRAS as hogs shouldn't be out then. Thanks'

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A few hogs moving on with some milder nights on the cards. Toadstool & Mangosteen - Hailsham, Starlite - Ringmer, Juniper, Bob & Jasmine - Polegate, Stella, Penfold & Crocodile - Eastbourne, Blueberry - Uckfield.

Lovely release of Starlite tonight in Ringmer, the local boys had obviously heard she was coming as one was there waiting for her, Pea has also gone back to Laughton & Bob & Jasmine to Polegate. Also new hog in from Uckfield, very very thin & wobbly, a little boy with an eye infection, unable to stand but fluids & meds given & he has lapped a small amount of easily digestable high calorie food, but he needs all the best wishes he can get as it is very touch & go poor soul.

Macadamia being welcomed home at dusk with a hog house specially built for him & lovely wildlife loving people & a wildlife friendly garden to go home to. He had nerve damage to a rear leg, which after keeping him awake during the Winter has recovered well allowing us to save the leg & return him home. 1 of the 120 hedgehogs we successfully overwintered, with the last ones going back to the wild this week & next

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Millie was released last night so that only leaves April, Megan & Huw. I think Huw will be going tonight, but April & Megan are still fast asleep!
A baby pigeon was taken in today, I found it in the garden this morning, it got a bit out of its head, think it flew into something, seems ok at the moment, good job I found it before the cats did!

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Meet Chesney - he has been with us for 10 days now after coming in with a severe rear leg injury which occurred soon after waking from hibernation at an amazing 1.1kg. He is a star & is such a gentle soul. Many thanks to New Priory vets in Brighton for operating on him at short notice when he came in. He had a post op check over with our locum Simon Harris today & fit & well

This is Bon Jovi, one very relaxed comfortable hog who likes nothing more than to 'splat' out the front of his bed box & hates being disturbed. He came in at 354g 3 weeks ago & gained 150g in a few days! He is now over 800g & will soon be going home again

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Good news that it looks like the very sick hog that we picked up in Uckfield a few days ago may make it. He was found under wheelbarrow in the daytime, the only reason he managed to get in the garden was that he was so thin. When we collected him all his legs were rigid & tremoring & his backbone was prominent. He could not balance upright at all. Emergency fluids & meds given & he started gently lapping some easily digestable food when place by his head. For the first few days he could only lie on his heatpad under a towel lapping the food placed next to him as well as being given sub cut fluids to support him. Today he is able to curl up & has gained 50g & is now able to have proper bedding & less sloppy food. A long way to go, but an amazing transformation in this little guy. Didn't think this guy would make it K x

This is Heath Ledger, now named Hotchi in his permanent home - a large enclosed garden full of exciting things to explore. He was with us Winter 2011 & had some brain damage & partial sight & is not nocturnal so was tried in a very safe secure walled garden & as you can see he has thrived

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Flump being released back home in Lewes tonight to a big welcome from the local residents where her brother Rhubarb was also released back a few weeks ago.

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More hogs on their way home, including Scrabble (aka Ian Brown) & Griffin; Morph & Bucks Fizz off back to Polegate, Poppy back to Uckfield, Peanut back to Seaford, Bon Jovi to Pevensey Bay & Prince back to Eastbourne. Pine Nut, Buster & Miss Piggy have come back to mine for a change of scenery to put on the last bit of weight. Just them, Magic Roundabout & Zebedee at mine now & Nemo, Rubble & Tweety Pie with Jen. Other than that all our overwintered hogs have gone, leaving just the new ones in care

this is a fantastic update

Thank you to Jenny and various other donors for their donations of pet carriers, snuggle safe heat pads, bowls, cat food and more. These items have been very much appreciated so on behalf of the animals thank you very much indeed.

More great news of our released overwintered hedgehogs, Macadamia who came in as a tiny hog, with no use of a back leg due to nerve damage is still returning home each night to the garden he was found and later released in after the nerve damaged repaired over the winter with us. Its wonderful to hear about so many doing so well. Please feel free to update us on any we may have released back home with you xx

This is Cowslip the collapsed little hog rescued in Uckfield less than a week ago with an eye infection & nasal discharge & was unable to even balance upright. Doesn't he look great, 100g heavier now. Still underweight but infection is improving

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This is Poppy the little hedgehog who came in with Pop Off Syndrome when only 180g in the Autumn. She recovered fully from that but has been very sensitive to the temperature over the Winter even indoors so has taken a while to get up to weight, she is now over 800g & waiting for her finder, volunteer Sandi to take her home tonight

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Lots of very poorly & emaciated hogs in over the last few days, a couple amazingly are still between 820-92og, but have clearly lost 200-300g, which is so sad. The latest one in tonight is extremely dehydrated, 900g, but very underweight for his size & had foam coming from his nose & a dreadful chest & struggling with his breathing, he has been in an oxygen chamber & given supportive meds & fluids. Sadly a couple of the smaller very sick hogs have died within 12 hrs of admittance, just too far gone to be able to do anything, but at least they were warm & comfortable