Foundation Builds Hedgehog Rehabilitation Enclosure

Following the success of Pollyanna’s Diamond exhibition, the Pollyanna Pickering Foundation has been able to raise £1650.00 to fund the building of an outside hedgehog enclosure at St. Budeaux Hedgehog Care and Rehab.

This small rehabilitation centre which cares for sick, injured and orphaned hedgehogs – and occasionally other small wildlife – is based near Plymouth. Over the last 5 years they have released over 100 hedgehogs annually into hedgehog friendly gardens. The outside enclosure will be vital in their care and successful rehabilitation. Additionally the Foundation is funding a wild bird aviary for use in rehabilitating the occasional bird brought in to the sanctuary – currently there are no suitable facilities to enable them to fly and regain strength prior to re-release.

Although the Foundation supports wildlife rescue and conservation projects globally, this project goes back to its roots in British wildlife rescue. Initially Pollyanna established the Foundation after she had to take the difficult decision to close the Raptor Rescue and wildlife sanctuary she had run from her own home for fifteen years. She wanted to continue to support the rescue of British Wildlife – and the Foundation’s very first project was the building of tunnels to help rehabilitate orphaned badgers back into the wild. Although the scope of the Foundation has grown considerably – funding projects from Namibia to South Africa, Kenya, India, Siberia, China, Vietnam and Bhutan among many more – it remains dedicated to helping our own native species. And hedgehogs in particular really need our help. Hedgehog numbers have dropped from more than 30 million in 1950 to under a million in 2017. See bottom left for ten ways you can help hedgehogs survive and thrive.

Ten Ways to Help Hedgehogs
● Make holes in the bottom of your garden wall and fences so they can roam.
●Leave a corner of your garden wild and overgrown.
●Put ramps in your ponds so they can climb out if they fall in.
●Remove netting, polystyrene cups, plastic six-pack holders, elastic bands and any other rubbish hedgehogs can get tangled up in.
●Leave out water and cat or dog food.
●Don’t use pesticides, insecticides and slug pellets- they poison hedgehogs and their prey.
●Before lighting bonfires, check whether hedgehogs have built nests inside them.
●Watch out for hedgehogs when strimming long grass.
●Build a log pile. They provide hedgehogs with insects and a nesting place.
●Go to hedgehogstreet.org, become a ‘hedgehog champion’ and join an army of volunteers.