Ark Wildlife is sponsoring the Ark Hedgehog Heroes BIG Giveaway to the sum of £2,500 during October to help raise awareness of the wonderful network of dedicated carers who give their time rushing to the aid of sick and injured hedgehogs day and night.
Throughout October, if you know somebody who takes in sick or injured hedgehogs you can nominate or vote for them by visiting www.arkwildlife.co.uk/heroes. You can vote for anyone on the list or add your own nomination. They don’t need to be a registered charity, just someone dedicating their own time to care for vulnerable hedgehogs. Votes count in the BIG Giveaway, so remember to tell all your friends about it as the carer with the most votes overall will also receive a gift pack to the value of £500.
Sean McMenemy Director of Ark Wildlife says: “We’ve been proud sponsors of the Ark Hedgehog Heroes BIG Giveaway since its inception and we know from all the letters we receive what a huge help the donations make at this busy time of year”. He continues to explain “As well as financially helping the carers, last year’s event reached over 100,000 people and resulted in 100’s of additional orphan hedgehogs being brought in to care, young hedgehogs that otherwise would not have survived."
Ark Hedgehog Heroes BIG Giveaway runs every October as this is the busiest time for carers. This is when autumn orphans (late born hedgehog babies that haven’t grown large enough to hibernate) add to the number of hedgehogs already in care with injuries from road and garden accidents. As well as helping carers, the aim of the event is to raise greater public awareness of the plight of hedgehogs at this critical time of year.
The hedgehog was voted Britain’s National species in 2014 and is one of the best-loved creatures visiting our gardens. Being the only native mammal covered in spines it’s easily identified and the bumbling hedgehog can be seen in most gardens across the UK. However, this close association with man can also create dangers. Various common injuries can be caused by power tools such as strimmers and lawn mowers, and garden netting and other mesh items such as football goals can trap animals. Hedgehog’s have a habit of sleeping in leaf piles, compost heaps and bonfires and are therefore vulnerable to nasty injuries from garden forks and burns from fires.
You can find out more about Ark Hedgehog Heroes BIG Giveaway and other ways to help hedgehogs on the following websites.
www.arkwildlife.co.uk/Heroes – Sponsoring Hedgehog Heroes
www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk – British Hedgehog Preservation Society
www.hedgehogstreet.org - Campaigning for hedgehog friendly gardens
If you find a hedgehog in distress or out during the day, first call: 01584 890 801 or look online for your local hedgehog carer.
