Young country diary: A spiky surprise for the whole family | Robin

Shropshire Hills: My dad accidentally picked up a hibernating hedgehog, and it (Gnasher) ended up living in our house for a couple of daysWe were tidying up the garden where we grow vegetables. Mum suddenly whispered, "Robin, come 'ere!" I went over and found her and Dad crouching over a hedgehog. It had been hibernating in some leaves and Dad had accidentally picked it up. He handed me a pair of thick gloves so that I could hold it, although I was scared to start with. It seemed to be still asleep, so we put it in a plant pot on its side, with dry leaves and grass surrounding it.A few minutes later the plant pot was empty - the hedgehog had woken up and was wandering around. The weather was due to get cold and we weren't sure if Dad had injured it with his spade, so we were a bit worried. I looked up hedgehogs while Mum (who is a vet) phoned the local wildlife centre for advice. I found out that they are "vulnerable to extinction" in the UK, but also that they recover well if looked after properly. Continue reading...