February 2021
All the overwintered hedgehogs were released with full support towards the end of February while the weather was mild and night time temperatures were good.
Hovis......
Found in a garden in Stalmine in mid February underneath a bird table eating stale scraps of bread put out for the birds. She was very thin and weighed only 295gms. 'Hovis' needed treatment and antibiotics for an infected leg and a wound on her back. Currently doing well and hopefully can be released in around two weeks time.
Albert (Clarence)......
Albert arrived on 21st February after being found scavenging for food in a local release site garden during the day. He is quite old, very thin and has no reserves left after surviving the winter. His skin appears to be two sizes too big for him. He is so thin it just drapes over his body. He also has a touch of ringworm so was given a treatment bath. It wasn't until I was drying him off after his second bath a few days later that I noticed a very faint white mark on his spines in the middle of his back. It looked the same colour what I mark released hedgehogs with, so I checked back through the records for 2020 and hey presto! Albert is actually Clarence!
Clarence was admitted last August from the same garden as he was not looking very well. He was released back into the same garden at the end of August and has survived over winter - but only just. Clarence was one of the hedgehogs featured in Hedgehog Hospital News in August 2020.
I now have a dilemma as to whether I release him when the time comes as he has been admitted twice now. He is obviously at home in this garden as he has stayed in the area. Or do I find him an enclosed garden to live out the rest of his days where I can keep an eye on him. Something to think about over the coming weeks.