RSPCA handles almost 1,000 wild animals incidents in Shropshire

New figures show that the charity recorded 971 wildlife incidents with 67 of those involving hedgehogs, more than any other animal.

The numbers were published to mark Hedgehog Awareness Week which runs from May 3-9.

Staff are now bracing for a surge in calls to rescue sick, injured and orphaned wild animals and birds as the breeding season starts.

Overall more than 2,700 hedgehogs were admitted to RSPCA wildlife centres last year with almost 12,000 coming through their doors in the past five years.

Traditionally, the month of April signals the start of reports about problems with the prickly creatures being made because as they leave hibernation at this time to search of food. Rescue teams also see a surge in other wildlife in spring such as birds, as the breeding season gets underway.

Despite the lock down, RSPCA rescue teams are continuing on the frontline as designated key workers and the charity has launched an emergency appeal to help it continue to rescue, rehabilitate and release the animals most in need through the crisis.

RSPCA scientific officer Evie Button said: “Regardless of coronavirus wild animals still need rescuing by us and breeding season is the start of a really busy time for us.

Much-loved

“We’ll have lots of calls about baby birds, orphaned fox cubs and hedgehogs which have come out of hibernation and need help to build up their body weight.

“It’s Hedgehog Awareness Week which is very appropriate as these much-loved prickly creatures are the most frequent visitor to our wildlife centres.”

The most common reasons hedgehogs come into the RSPCA are because they are orphaned, underweight, injured or exhibiting abnormal behaviour indicative of ill health.

Since lockdown, the RSPCA has responded to 10,817 incidents about wildlife, 540 of which have been about hedgehogs.

Top 10 wildlife species admitted to the four RSPCA wildlife centres in 2019 were hedgehog followed by wood pigeon, herring gull, mallard duck, feral pigeon, blackbird, mute swan, collared dove, house sparrow, goldfinch.

Last year the RSPCA responded to 4,818 hedgehog related incidents nationally or an average of 13 per day.

It has launched an emergency appeal to help keep its rescue and animal care teams working.

The charity added that there was no evidence that wild animals in the UK can be infected by or spread coronavirus.

For advice and to donate visit the website www.rspca.org.uk/covid