Mild winter keeps hedgehogs awake

[Chocky]

From the BBC Website

A hedgehog hospital has seen an influx of prickly patients who have forgotten to hibernate due to the mild weather.

Beryl Steadman has seen a steady flow of admissions to her converted garage in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, when the animals should be tucked up in bed.

Mrs Steadman said normally they should sleep through the winter, but they appear to be confused.

She is looking after 11 who are still wide awake, and said those still in the wild would be struggling for food.

She set up the hospital to nurse injured or underweight hedgehogs back to health before returning to the wild.

They are referred there by vets across west Wales, but she said normally her services were not required during the winter.

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[tawny]

I hope to see more hedgehogs this summer as over the last 2 years im sure the numbers have dropped in my area, we used to see them regularly and unfortunately road casualties, but now not a sign of them anywhere, have the numbers dropped? or is it just in my area?