Country & Coast: Roger set to be a star as cameras focus on York’s hedgehog haven

For the last 20 years, Toni has run a hedgehog rescue centre and hospital from her home in York.

“It all started at a time when I was running an ecology course at Leeds University,” says Toni. “I took a hedgehog from a vet because it couldn’t be released back into the wild, and it went from there.”

Toni has since cared for hundreds of sick and injured hedgehogs, the majority of which were eventually strong enough to be released back into the wild.

One exception is Roger, a hedgehog that lives in Toni’s garden on a permanent basis and even comes running up the path towards her when his name is called.

“Roger is a long-term resident because, unusually for a hedgehog, he has lost all his natural instinct. He came to me with a fairly superficial head injury caused by a garden strimmer and I hand-reared him. Normally, when you have to hand-rear a young hedgehog, they remain afraid of humans and will even try to bite you. I suspect that the head injury that Roger suffered has caused him to lose his fear of humans.”

Roger’s story highlights the fact that where health and safety in concerned, hedgehog welfare is usually overlooked.

“I see so many hedgehogs with strimmer- and mower-related injuries,” says Toni.

“Only last week I was given two baby hedgehogs to hand-rear. Someone had been mowing their grass, but it had got quite long and a hedgehog had made a nest there. They didn’t check before they cut the grass, and the mother and one of her babies was killed.

“Half of all the hedgehogs that come in with strimmer injuries have to be put down by the vet.”

Toni usually has up to 20 hedgehogs and her home has been adapted to provide indoor and outdoor accommodation for them, as well as an intensive-care unit.

“Some of the hedgehogs live free in my garden as I’m preparing them for release. I have a release scheme at the Minster Gardens, in York, and am monitoring how the hedgehogs that I’ve let go there are coping.

“I have even managed to release a three-legged hedgehog – another strimmer victim – who is doing really well.”

Toni had 16 hedgehogs over-wintering with her.

“They just couldn’t cope with the severe cold. If a hedgehog doesn’t get its body up to a certain weight, it can’t hibernate and will have to keep looking for food. They really need to be a minimum of 700 grams and able to curl up into a nice round ball to manage the winter.”

Hedgehogs have been hardest hit in rural areas, where a loss of habitat has forced them to compete for food and territory with badgers. This has triggered the BHPS to launch its campaign for people to make built-up areas more appealing to hedgehogs to give them a fighting chance of survival.

Love Your Garden, ITV next Friday 8pm.