Hedgehogs Are At Risk Of Dying Of Dehydration As Heatwave Continues

A quick warning before we begin, don't read this story if you're feeling a bit delicate or emotional.

It turns out that hedgehogs could be at risk of death from dehydration due to the ongoing heatwave in the United Kingdom.

OK, so the fires that were on the hills are now out, that must have seen to a lot of little critters who called the moorland their home, but it turns out that tiny, cute animals are not completely out of the woods yet (pun intended).

Yes, it's so hot, and there is so little water on offer that hedgehogs are in real danger of becoming so parched that they can't continue. This is according to an animal charity, the British Hedgehog Preservation Society.

Because of the lack of rain, many of the hedgehog's normal water supplies are not available to them. This is also true with humans - the reservoirs are dangerously low at the minute, and a hosepipe ban is in place in some places.

That said, we can still walk over to a tap, or into a shop, and grab a cold drink of something. It's not quite the same for our tiny, spiny, friends the hedgehogs.

So, how can you go about saving them? It's pretty simple really. Leave a plate or a saucer with a bit of water in it outside in your garden overnight - hedgehogs are nocturnal - and let them drink out of that.

If you know there are hedgehogs in the area, just leave them a wee drink outside and they'll sup it up and move along.

Apparently, if you've got any meaty cat or dog food, they'll have that too. Should you wish, you can buy specialist hedgehog food on the internet too.

Hedgehog Preservation Society Chief Executive, Fay Vass, said: "With the very hot dry weather hedgehogs and other wildlife are struggling to find natural sources of water, and the ground is so dry and hard that their natural food is hard to come by too.

"We all know how horrible it is to be thirsty, but this goes beyond that, there is so little natural water around at the moment, the hedgehogs are having to rely on us being kind enough to leave a drink for them - it must be like an oasis in a desert."

There you have it, if there are hedgehogs in the area, leave a drink and something to eat out for them and they'll be fine - it's as simple as that.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Weather, News, heatwave, UK, Animals

Tom Wood

Tom Wood is a freelance journalist and LADbible contributor. He graduated from University of London with a BA in Philosophy before studying for a Masters in Journalism at the University of Salford. He has previously written for the M.E.N Group as well as working for several top professional sports clubs. Contact him on [email protected]

@TPWagwim