2 minute read
woody’s wildlife rescue
community Giving Animals a New Lease of Life
by Dan Connors
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Three years ago, Sue Wood took an injured hedgehog to Hetty’s Hedgehog Rescue in Letchworth. Unfortunately, Hetty’s Rescue was completely full that day and Sue ended up receiving some good advice and taking a hedgehog home. Over three hundred hedgehogs later and Woody’s Wildlife Rescue now takes up a substantial portion of both Sue’s garden and her spare time. Woody’s has grown from a single room in Sue’s house to two large converted hospital sheds and now cares for far more than hedgehogs. In the past three years cuckoos, pigeons, buzzards, small songbirds, an owl, and a fox have all passed through.
Sue Wood with volunteer Grace Connors
On top of a full-time job Sue spends 2-3 hours a day caring for the animals; hand feeding some and cleaning and weighing all of them. These days Sue is not alone and is supported by 8 wonderful helpers who also care for the animals. It is a good job that people like Sue and Hetty successfully rescue, care for and release hedgehogs. Their numbers have plummeted, and it is estimated that a third of their population have disappeared in the last 20 years. Their numbers are dropping at the same rate as tiger. These losses are mainly due to loss of their habitat along with greatly reduced food sources for them. Sue estimates that she has a survival rate of about 98% and when the hedgehogs are ready to be released, they usually go back to the area that they were found in. Some of the hedgehogs that end up at Woody’s are there because of overenthusiastic humans. Young hedgehogs are sometimes left alone for short periods while the mother goes to feed. If you find a nest of baby hedgehogs Sue says that under no circumstances should you touch them, quickly put anything back that you’ve moved to reveal them. Hedgehogs are very good at smell and if the mother comes back and smells a human has disturbed her nest, she will usually kill her babies. Hedgehogs also have their own type of fleas which are completely harmless to both dogs and humans. Some well-meaning people try to treat hedgehogs with dog flea powder which is poisonous to them. Sue is currently fundraising to buy two new incubators which are vital when very young animals arrive.
If you would like to contribute then suitable items to support the rescue can found at this Amazon Wishlist: bit.ly/woodyswishlist
If you find a hedgehog or other wild animal that needs help then Sue can be contacted on: 07720 932097 or via her Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/woodyswildrescue
Arlesey MUGA Pitches As we move into the autumn we are pleased to welcome back local netball teams to our MUGA pitches.
