In Scotland, a couple decided that European hedgehogs deserved more than just a trip to the vet. So Sharon and Andy Longhurst transformed their home into a real hospital for hedgehogs, starting almost by chance in 2023, when they could accommodate a maximum of seven in the attic. However, word spread so quickly that, within a few weeks, that limit became just a memory.
Today they have a maternity ward built directly in their garden, an intensive care unit in the garage and an organized system of volunteers who manage real ambulances for hedgehogs, ready to intervene when the usual phone call arrives: “We found one”.
@burntislandhedgehoghaven Bath time for Olive today. What a difference in just a few days
♬ original sound – BurntislandHedgehogHaven
A growing rescue network
They have since rehabilitated more than 500 hedgehogs, managed 567 cases in less than three years and established a wider network, the Scottish Hedgehog’s Rescue Alliance, which coordinates other centers in the Perth, Dundee and Dunbartonshire regions. The work never stops: hedgehogs arrive injured from road accidents, gardening tools, dog bites, pesticides, or covered in fly larvae. Some even show up trapped in football nets.
In addition to saving animals, the Longhursts try to dispel myths – such as that of hedgehogs being “full of fleas”, which is almost always false – and teach how to make gardens safer. The couple manages up to 40 animals at a time, with the support of 18 volunteers who clean, weigh and check the guests every day. Feeding and caring for this micro-hospital is expensive: around £800 a month just to power seven incubators, plus £3,500 a year in veterinary bills. Yet Sharon and Andy have no intention of giving up.
@burntislandhedgehoghaven 3 Hoglets weighing 83g 83g and 90g mum had abandoned them for whatever reason and found and brought to the rescue tonight
♬ original sound – BurntislandHedgehogHaven
A commitment rewarded
Their treatments have a 65% success rate, remarkable considering the IUCN classified hedgehogs as “near threatened” in 2024. For this tireless work, Longhurst have received accolades such as the BBC Make A Difference Award and been named Animal All Star in the UK.
@burntislandhedgehoghaven Yesterday we were presented with our 2nd motion of parliament for receiving Highly Commended in the BBC Make a Difference Award in the Animal Category xx
♬ soft background music with piano string bells(1283463) – earbrojp
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