Tucked away in a quiet corner of Loughgall, Co. Armagh, lies a small but vital animal rescue centre.
Loughgall Hedgehog Rescue opened its doors to sick and injured wild hedgehogs during the pandemic and since then has been a temporary home to approximately 300 hedgehogs.
In part three of our four part ‘All Creatures Great and Small’ video series, in partnership with Pet Domain, we spoke with founder, Andrea Cowan, about her mission and journey into hedgehog rescue.
Negan, a wild hedgehog who as the result of a road traffic accident, lost his sight, hearing and sense of smell. He is now safe in the care of a loving foster home.
Around 25 to 30 years ago, when a relative’s dog disturbed a nest of baby hedgehogs, Andrea’s interest in wild hedgehog care and rehabilitation was born.
Since then, Andrea has armed herself with all the necessary knowledge to ensure hedgehogs are protected in their natural habitats and is keen to share that knowledge to help prevent the public from unwittingly causing hedgehog injuries and illnesses.
Little John, came to Andrea with a bad case of mange resulting in his spines falling out. Thanks to medicated baths and anti-biotics he is now on the mend.
Andrea explains that the internet is, unfortunately, laden with misinformation surrounding hedgehog feeding, care and handling. She discusses appropriate food-stuffs, hedgehog highways, how to check your garden for the spiney critters before strimming and what to do if you find a hedgehog in need of help.
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