Shed heaven: Take a look inside Ludlow's Pricklebums Hedgehog Rescue - with pictures

But they are going through a hard time. Despite there being more than 30 million roaming around the countryside 60 years ago, their numbers are now in serious decline.

The population is believed to have fallen to fewer than one million due in part to the loss of habitat, predation and road deaths.

But thankfully for our little spiky friends help is on hand to try to reverse their fortunes.

Ailie Hill is one of a number of hedgehog carers around the country, who have joined the fight to save these much-loved creatures, which are also a protected species.

For the past three years she has run her own sanctuary - Pricklebums Hedgehog Rescue - from her home in Pipe Aston, near Ludlow.

"Hedgehogs are definitely my passion, they are very special creatures and so unique. When first encountered all you see is a huffy ball of prickles, but in fact underneath they have the cutest little faces and soft furry tummies. They've totally stolen my heart,"says the 43-year- old.

It all began when Ailie, who hails from Brisbane in Australia, found an injured hedgehog while out one day.

"It had fallen below a cattle grid and couldn’t get out – it was one of the old-fashioned ones without a ramp. The poor thing was emaciated as had been there for some time. I nursed it back to health even though I didn't really know what I was doing to start with.

"I wanted to find out more about them and how I could help them. Being Australian, I was just so intrigued because we don't have them over there.”

"The closest animal we have is an echidna but they are still quite different," explains Ailie, who has a 15-year- old son named Ben.

Eager to learn everything she could about hedgehogs and caring for wild animals, Ailie began volunteering at a local wildlife rescue centre.

She also completed a course in hedgehog first aid, care and rehabilitation which is run by Vale Wildlife Hospital in Gloucestershire in association with the British Hedgehog Association.

Since then Ailie has cared for more than 500 sick, injured or orphaned hedgehogs.

As well as responding to calls for help from across Shropshire, Worcestershire and Herefordshire, patients are also brought to her for care.

Each hedgehog that comes through the door is immediately placed on a heat pad. "They have to be warmed up when they are ill, in shock or have been injured, as they struggle to maintain their body heat.

"It's important that we do this as soon as possible because hedgehogs can deteriorate very quickly," explains Ailie.

As well as keeping them warm, it's essential that the patients receive fluids, administered via injections, to rehydrate them.

Once they are stable, an assessment of their illness or injuries is carried out with veterinary care sought if required.

Common complaints are parasite and bacterial infections, which Ailie treats herself at home. "Seventy to eighty per cent of hedgehogs have them. It may be that they are brought in for another reason

whether it's a dog bite or a road accident but more often than not they will also need to be treated with wormers as well.

"They can get lungworm, roundworm and intestinal fluke and while they can cope with a few if they have a good immune system, if they increase to a high level it can kill them.

We can't start treatment until we know exactly what we are dealing with and the only way to do this is to examine the hedgehog's poo under the microscope to see what’s going on. It takes around three weeks to complete a course of wormers,"says Ailie.

Baby hedgehogs are given the same milk-replacement formula as puppies because it's the closest to their mothers milk.

Once they have been weaned they are fed a meat mouse, also given to puppies, and later semi-moist hedgehog food. Older ones are given tinned cat and dog food, dry cat biscuits and water.

One meal they are definitely not given is bread and milk. "Years ago everyone did this, but now it has been discovered that they are lactose intolerant and it can make them very sick," explains Ailie.

Life as a hedgehog carer is non-stop all year round – from orphaned baby hedgehogs in the spring and summer, to juveniles born later in the year needing to be over-wintered - as well as all those injured and ill coming in throughout the year. They are handled as little as possible during their stay with Ailie to ensure they don't lose their natural fear of humans.

Once a hedgehog has been rehabilitated and is in good health they can be released back into the wild. This might be the garden they came from or another designated release site.

"We mostly ‘soft release’ where the hedgehog is accommodated in a secure pen for up to a week, so it can acclimatise to the area before being let go.

"Some hedgehogs may never be able to go back to the wild so these are released into a secure, enclosed garden where they can live without fear of predators,"explains Ailie, who is supported by a small number of volunteers.

At Pricklebums, which is funded through voluntary donations, she has housing for around 50 including room for 22 in a specially-fitted out 'shed', which recently caught the eye of television producers.

Her little hedgehog rescue even made it on to the national shortlist of 32 other similarly unusual buildings which have been featured on Channel 4's Amazing Spaces Shed of the Year, presented by George Clarke.

"We were nominated for the unexpected category. It's been exciting. They came here to film and we went down to London for the final.

"It was a great way to raise awareness of what we do and to get more people involved in helping hedgehogs," says Ailie, who was delighted to win her category.

There are many ways that we can help the species and also make our gardens more welcoming for these little creatures, says Ailie.

"The most important thing to remember is, if you see a hedgehog out in daylight then that's a clear sign something is wrong because they are nocturnal.

"The only exception to this is a female who might be building a nest or taking a break from babies. If they are looking purposeful and are moving backwards and forwards then leave them to it. But in all other cases, please call a rescue centre for advice.”

It's also a common misconception that they sunbathe.

"They don't and shouldn't be lying out in the sun. It's important to call for help as soon as you see them because they need urgent help.”

“In gardens, consider leaving some wild areas for them to use as a habitat or provide a hedgehog house for them to shelter in. Leave a hole in the fence so they can move between gardens and forage

freely. Many people set up a feeding stations to support feed them which is very helpful especially in times when food is scarce.”

The British Hedgehog Preservation Society runs a campaign called 'Hedgehog Street' which gives lots of hints and tips about how to make our gardens hedgehog friendly.

"Avoid using slug pellets if at all possible. When using mowers and strimmers always check the area first to avoid injuring wildlife.

“If you happen to disturb a hedgehog nest, cover it up and leave it alone, because mother hedgehogs can abandon or eat their young if stressed.”

"Bonfires are also a big problem, it's best to move the pile before it's lit to ensure there aren't any hedgehogs inside," explains Ailie.

Her long-term ambition is to be able to move the sanctuary from her home and set up a larger hedgehog hospital with more specialist facilities to help cope with the growing number of spiky patients.

"I believe we should do everything we can to help ensure their survival and preserve them for future generations. I would be very sad if my children and grandchildren were to grow up in a world without hedgehogs," says Ailie.

*For more information and how to help - see www.facebook.com/pricklebumshedgehogrescue