We were delighted to have the team from Steph’s Packed Lunch here filming at Tiggywinkles, take a look at how they got on in the video below. Shared with thanks to Steph’s Packed Lunch and Channel 4!  

Typically, hedgehogs hibernate from late December/early January until late March time. However, this is very dependent on the weather and the individual hedgehog, as some will hibernate earlier or later, and some not at all! Hedgehogs hibernate during winter as there is far less food available and they otherwise may not find enough to survive the colder months. During hibernation a hedgehog’s body temperature drops right down, as does their heart rate – they also only take a breath every few minutes! This slowing down of their physiological activities massively reduces the amount of energy they need to survive. So, if you have hedgehogs visiting your garden it would be great if you could start popping out a dish of fresh water and some tinned cat or dog food (or dried kitten food) in the evenings to help our spikey friends gain that all important winter weight. If you spot a particularly small hedgehog out in your garden and you are concerned you can pop on some gardening gloves and carefully weigh them – any under 500g by the end of November may struggle with hibernation, please either call us (01844 292292) or your local wildlife rescue for advice on what to do to help them. Please do not pick up large and otherwise healthy looking hedgehogs who are active at night.  Please do remember that any hedgehog of any size that is out in the day is likely struggling and will need help, so don’t delay please do get them along to your nearest rescue or call for help! If you would like more information, please take a look at our hedgehog fact sheet: https://www.sttiggywinkles.org.uk/hedgehog-fact-sheet/

We were disheartened to learn that the hedgehog has been included in the first red list for British mammals. It is important that we do what we can to help the declining population, so we thought this would be a good opportunity to share with you some ways we can all help hedgehogs, especially in our gardens. Gardens are a popular habitat for our native hedgehogs but sadly, many modern gardens are not very hedgehog friendly. It is so important to remove hazards that can cause harm to our prickly visitors. Pesticides like slug pellets, barbed wire, netting, bonfires, some wood preservers, and gardening tools like strimmers are all potentially fatal to hedgehogs. Take a walk around your garden and look out for any cosy, dry, sheltered places where a hedgehog might like to nest. Thick hedges, dense brambles, scrub patches and hedgehog houses are all popular spots. Consider planting hedges, as these make ideal shelter and provide food for lots of wildlife! As well as putting out a shallow dish of fresh water and some tinned dog or cat food every night, you can help hedgehogs find food by leaving some areas of wilderness with long grass, dead wood and leaves so hedgehogs can forage for bugs and grubs. Hedgehogs seek well-connected habitats so as well as making your gardens hedgehog friendly, it is important to make sure hedgehogs have access to neighbouring gardens. Try create gaps in your fences (around the size of a CD) and encourage your neighbours to do the same! With the recent hot weather we have been having, it is important to put out water for hedgehogs every evening and it will help all the other wild animals in your garden too! We urge you to share these tips with your friends and family! If you would like more information, please take a look at our hedgehog fact sheet: https://www.sttiggywinkles.org.uk/hedgehog-fact-sheet/

Due to the ongoing situation with Covid-19 we are doing all we can to ensure we can still be here for wildlife in need. We are still open 24 hours a day to take in animals. To keep our staff and the general public safe, we are still asking everyone to wait at the front doors and ring the doorbell for attention. One of our team will then come to collect the animal and take some details at the doors to reduce the numbers of people coming into the hospital. There is no need to call or email ahead, you can just turn up with the animal. For help with large animals please call 01844 292292. For all non-urgent enquiries please either email mail@tiggywinkles.org or contact us via our social media channels – Facebook, Twitter & Instagram. Please do bear with us during this time as responses may take a little longer than usual. We have set up some donations bins at the front of the Hospital, so if you are passing you can still drop off newspapers, dog & cat food or other items without having to enter the building – your kind support is greatly appreciated. We wish you all the best during this time and thank you for your support and understanding.

Due to the recent changes in the law we are no longer legally allowed to release rehabilitated grey squirrel. For more information on this please click here. This awful ruling has of course put wildlife rehabilitators, vets and members of the public in an incredibly difficult situation – we all want to do the best we can to help wildlife in need. To ensure we can provide those squirrels who desperately need life-saving care with the help they need we are working under strict guidelines on what we can do to help. PLEASE NOTE: We can no longer take in any grey squirrel from outside of our area (please see the map below). If you are worried about a squirrel and are not from our area please see www.helpwildlife.co.uk for local contacts to help. Juvenile Squirrels Every year lots of baby squirrels are picked up as suspected orphans. As these little squirrels will no longer be able to be released, it is far better for them to be left in the wild wherever possible, instead of being condemned to a life in captivity. Squirrel Nests: Before cutting down trees and carrying out gardening works in the Spring and Summer months please carefully check for the presence of nests and baby squirrels. If you suspect a nest, leave the area well alone to give the mother a chance to rear her babies safely. If a nest or tree is accidently destroyed and the babies are exposed or on the ground, carefully pick them up in as much of their nesting material as possible (andwhilst wearing gardening gloves!) and pop them as close to the nest site as possible. Please then come away from the area and monitor from a safe distance. This will give their very dedicated mothers a chance to come back for her young. Please keep cats and other animals inside during this time. If the mother does not return, they will need help. If you are in our area, please call us on 01844 292292. If you are not local, please see www.helpwildlife.co.uk Sub-Adult Squirrels: Sometimes juvenile squirrels can be found alone when they are first finding their feet – they are not always scared of humans and can even sometimes approach people. They will look similar to the squirrel pictured here. At this age it is possible to support them in the wild and help them without picking them up – this is preferable to condemning them to a life in captivity. If you have a squirrel like this in your garden or local park you can provide food and even water to help them out. A shallow dish of water and a handful of mixed (unsalted) nuts, such as pecans, and some digestive biscuits or baby rusks will be gratefully received by most youngsters. Please do not attempt to handle the young squirrels or attempt to tame them. They must remain as wild as possible. Please continue to feed and monitor them, call us if you need any help or advice to make sure you are doing the right thing – 01844 292292. Very young babies, or any age squirrel with obvious injuries, may need help. If you are in our area please call 01844 292292 or see www.helpwildlife.co.uk if you are not local. Adult Squirrels Squirrels are very hardy animals. If you find an adult with obvious injuries – they may need veterinary help. If it is in our area, please call us on 01844 292292 or if you have it safely contained in a box you can bring it in to us. If you are not local please see www.helpwildlife.co.uk for the nearest centre who can help.

Due to the recent changes in the law we are no longer legally allowed to release rehabilitated muntjac deer. For more information on this please click here. This awful ruling has of course put wildlife rehabilitators, vets and members of the public in an incredibly difficult situation – we all want to do the best we can to help wildlife in need. To ensure we can provide those muntjac deer who desperately need life-saving care with the help they need we are working under strict guidelines on what we can do to help. PLEASE NOTE: We can no longer take in any muntjac deer from outside of our area (please see the map below). If you are worried about a muntjac and are not from our area please see www.helpwildlife.co.uk for local contacts to help. Juvenile Muntjac Deer Every year lots of juvenile muntjac deer are wrongly picked up as suspected orphans. As these little deer will no longer be able to be released it is far better for them to be left in the wild where they belong, instead of being condemned to a life in captivity, or worse. So, if you find a baby deer, please do not pick it up or touch it – their mothers can leave them for up to 12 hours on end whilst they look for food. If you are concerned the baby may have been orphaned, then please keep an eye from a safe distance for a several hours (up to 12) or return to the spot later. In most cases the mother will have returned. As difficult as it feels to leave such a vulnerable looking animal alone, it really is in their best interest. If the baby deer is found with obvious injuries or is found with its dead mother it may need help – please call us on 01844 292292 for further help and advice. Adult Muntjac Deer As with young deer, if these muntjac are brought into a rescue they will not be able to return to the wild, so please only intervene when necessary. Any muntjac with obvious wounds may need veterinary intervention. Please call us on 01844 292292 immediately if within our area. Any muntjac deer stuck in fencing, either on any part of its body or by a limb may need intervention. Please call us on 01844 292292 if within our area. Adult muntjac deer can be dangerous please do not attempt to rescue or pick up by yourself, call us on 01844 292292 or your nearest rescue for assistance (www.helpwildlife.co.uk). If you find yourself in the upsetting situation of finding a sick, injured or orphaned muntjac deer we would strongly advise you to write to your local MP and to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (currently, Theresa Villiers) to highlight your views and experiences with this law and situation. We have prepared a draft response, which you may find of use when contacting the relevant bodies, please click here to learn more. Thank you for your kindness and understanding during this difficult time.

We are incredibly disheartened that the Government have introduced the EU Regulation on ‘Invasive Alien Species’ which affects muntjac deer and grey squirrels. This regulation now makes it illegal to release any rehabilitated grey squirrel or muntjac deer. We are working hard to have the law changed to allow us to release these rehabilitated patients under licence, but in the meantime, we will be implementing strict guidelines on taking in these animals. We have been forced into this position by the UK Government and whilst they say that they are not instructing rescues to euthanise the patients, our space and resources will be quickly depleted. To allow us to continue to provide the best welfare for these animals, during their indefinite stay in our care, we will need the help and support of the public during this difficult and testing times. As part of this we have created some information on when to help and when to leave well alone for both muntjac deer and grey squirrels. Before bringing us either of these animals please read through the information provided – if you are unsure please call us on 01844 292292. We would also please urge you all to contact your local MP and the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (currently, George Eustice). We believe that having many different people and organisations approaching them to highlight their views and distress will only help the cause. We have prepared a draft response, which you may find of use when contacting the relevant bodies, please click here to learn more.

If it wasn’t for your legacies and leaving a little something in your will, we wouldn’t be here. “Doing a Will” is one of those things that most of us don’t want to think about!  So if you do ever want to get it out of the way, or change your existing legacy, you can call me – and I will talk you through it, personally. It’s surprisingly easy, and we even have a free legacy link to save you money!  From a desperately needed packet of antibiotics, to a whole Intensive Care Unit, people over the years have left things for us to help us keep going, growing and saving animals. We don’t receive government or lotto funding, so every legacy we receive has an immediate impact on our unique hospital.  Either quietly with a small tasteful plaque, or a huge display celebrating a loved ones life – we make sure that a legacy is something perfectly suited for YOU. We offer a second chance to all British wildlife. We are always here for them, 24 hours a day, and will never let them down. We do not waste money sending out constant appeals for funds or free pens or other bizarre marketing techniques. Our Newsletters simply update our experiences and challenges. We know that once you choose to leave us a legacy you will never want us to waste money that you have worked so hard all your lives for. That is our promise to you and I hope that you will continue to contact me and make that legacy pledge.  I want to thank you all so very much. It means everything to us and I love talking to you all.  The kettle is always on if you’d like to meet us! Melanie Kingham Legacies Officer

This beautiful mother swan and her cygnets had a bit of a tricky start. Very sadly her mate was found dead, whilst she was sitting on their eggs. Not too long after, the mother was attacked by other swans (likely a territory dispute) which caused her to flee the nest; she was then found quite exhausted and distressed. As the poor mother needed care, and we knew the eggs would not survive without her, the whole family were collected by one of our rescuers. We kept the 8 eggs incubated whilst mum had her treatment and as soon as she was well enough, we put them all in a nice private room on a new nest. It did not take long at all for the eggs to start to hatch under the female’s watchful eye. We gave her plenty of space and privacy to make sure she was comfortable and were so delighted when all 8 eggs hatched! Once they were all up and about, we carefully walked the family to a new pen (with their own private pool), which will be their residence whilst in our care. All are doing brilliantly; she is a doting mother and the youngsters are all swimming and feeding well. Once the babies are a bit older, we plan to find them a safe home, without an existing pair of swans, so she can bring her young up in the wild. (Please note, the swan family are not viewable to the public when coming to the Visitor Centre).  

The pupils at Duncombe School in Hertfordshire have very kindly been fundraising for us here at Tiggywinkles. The pupils all worked so hard and raisied an amazing donation of £917.17! This generous donation will be a huge help for the animals in our care, so thank you so much to everyone involved. As part of their tremendous fundraising activities they ran a competition to design plasters, the two winning desings can be seen below – don’t they look brilliant!