Isra, the hedgehog on video.

Regular readers will remember that I blogged about a sick hedgehog here. She was named Isra and is being cared for by Jacqui in a Hedgehog Rescue haven. Jacqui has several “hogs” in her care, returning them to good health so that they can be released to a rural property far from roads and relatively free of predators once winter is over.

Earlier this week Jacqui updated Isra’s progress. Isra now weighs a kilo and her new quills are growing now that the mange has been cured. Naturally Isra would like to hibernate but that would stop her quill regrowth and delay her release in spring. In order to prevent hibernation she is being kept very warm on her heating disc again.

Jacqui also posted this video on the Hedgehog Rescue (NZ) Facebook page. If you turn the sound up on your computer you can hear Jacqui talking to Isra and describing her as friendly and inquisitive.

Thanks again Jacqui for the treatment and care you have given to Isra and the other hedgehogs in your care :-))

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A shy “Hi” from Isra

Introducing Isra

Those of you reading along will remember my last two blog posts have been about the hedgehog who visited my garden needing to drink lots of water.

It is winter here so hedgehogs should all be tucked up in a safe nest hibernating. Sick hedgehogs do not hibernate and seek water in an attempt to stave off dehydration caused by illness. Mange is a common and very debilitating illness for hedgehogs and this is what was causing my visitor to call at lunch time.

A friend alerted me to the fact that the visiting hedgehog was likely to be unwell and gave me the contact details of a woman who knows how to treat and care for sick hedgehogs.

In my last post I detailed the capture of the little one.
Today I learnt that the hedgehog is definitely a female. I had searched out a name for a male and for a female. There are websites for hedgehog names!

I chose Isra for a female. It is an Algerian name meaning “journeying by night” which is what this little one should be back doing next spring and summer once she is deemed to be well. Hedgehogs can cover remarkably long distances during the hours of darkness.

For those of you wondering about the male name I had selected, I had chosen Tsini, a Hausa name meaning Spike.

Isra is doing well. The crusts caused by mange have dropped away from her eyes. She is eating well and being given vitamins to assist in her healing. She adores her heating disc, much like Jazz, our cat does and apparently stretches out over the welcome warmth.

I am very grateful to the carer who willingly takes in sick or injured hedgehogs and cares for them, mostly out of her own pocket. I will keep you posted re progress over winter as Isra will not be allowed to hibernate and will only be released in spring if she is fit and strong enough.

Jacqui, the hedgehog rescue and care lady is posting update comments still to my previous posts if you would like to read those too.

Hedgehog Rescue

After advice from a local woman who rescues, treats, cares for and has a safe release plan for hedgehogs I set my “trap” in the hope that the hedgehog that visited yesterday to drink its fill would return.

My “trap” was more water in a low terracotta saucer next to Jazz’s water bowl but also a dish with tinned cat food in it. I found a deep, plastic bucket and positioned it with my thick gardening gloves near the door. I sat near the sliding door and waited. It was a frosty morning and it was still chilly. But at lunch time who should I spy but my wee visitor drinking away at the terracotta saucer.

I snuck out the door and donned the gloves, picked up the bucket and quietly approached the wee critter. I popped it into the bucket and put some food in with it.

It wolfed that down and came back for large seconds and thirds. Once I had secured the bucket so it would not fall over if wriggling and squirming happened I went indoors and rang the Rescue woman, Jacqui (see her comments on yesterday’s blog post here).

Jacqui was thrilled to learn that the “hog” had come back and was safely captured. She kindly drove over to check it out and declared it to have mange. She took it home and has begun to treat the mange by applying large amounts of cooking oil to soften the crusted skin that is caused by the mites and to drown the mites. Tomorrow she will use a flea treatment on the “hog”.

She will monitor progress and keep the little one until spring. If it is well enough and strong enough then it will be released on a very safe property in Te Hero (a rural area north of my home.) This is a much safer and suitable home compared with our garden which is alongside a very busy street.
Once the sex of this hedgehog is known I get to name it. I’ll let you know!