A hedgehog without needles needs regular massage to survive
It's already very cold outside and there's less light every day. Imagine how hard it would be for the little hedgehog Nelson in the forest. Hedgehogs usually have about 500 needles on their bodies, which protect them from predators and help keep them warm. But Nelson, who was so named after an English admiral, is completely bald. Because of this, he has to live indoors. Every day, volunteers from the animal welfare organization Foxy Lodge Wildlife Rescue give Nelson a massage.
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According to experts, the problem of hedgehog baldness is a genetic disease. The animal is cared for with antiseptic scrubs and massages with baby oil.
Tonya and John Garner are holding Nelson at a rescue center in Norfolk. They hope that the hedgehog will grow needles again, but if this does not happen, the shelter will continue to take care of him. He should not be released into the wild, because needles are his only protection.
This is not the first time volunteers have found a bald hedgehog. In 2009, a hedgehog named Baldrick with a similar disease appeared at the Foxy Lodge shelter, but he died soon after. A year later, they found a bald hedgehog Betty, who weighed only 124 grams, and now has reached a healthy weight of 317 grams.
The Garners founded the rescue center eight years ago with donations from relatives and friends. Since then, they have been rescuing and caring for hundreds of animals and birds every year. According to their estimates, by the end of 2016, this figure will exceed one thousand.
On October 20, the couple received recognition for their charitable work in the form of an award, which was presented to them in the House of Lords of the British Parliament. "Without a shared passion for helping animals, we would not have been able to continue this work. Sometimes it can be difficult, but it's worth all the effort when you see a recovered animal that leaves the shelter and regains freedom," says Tonya Garner.
"We just support all these animals who otherwise would not have a second chance at life," adds the owner of the shelter.