How to release rehabilitated and over-wintered hedgehogs back to the wild.
I release hedgehogs that have been treated in the hedgehog hospital rescue back to the wild year round except for in the middle of Winter. It is important to consider the impact that the stress of captivity has upon the hedgehog, particularly over a prolonged period. Unnecessarily long periods of captivity may cause issues to recur and even new issues to star that can be triggered by stress, such as ringworm and coccidiosis.
Here are some of the factors to consider when releasing hedgehogs back to the wild.
The weather conditions (which will be specific to each area) need to be 5 degrees or above at night for at least 5 days in a row after a hedgehog is released. I don’t release in the middle of Winter unless it is mild and there are other wild hedgehogs around.
I avoid releasing hedgehogs when there is lots of rain forecast, especially storms tjat may cause localised flooding. I also avoid releasing after long periods of high rainfall because all the available nest sites may be too damp. I am also cautious around bonfire night.
When releasing hedgehogs in the Spring, I take my cue from when the wild hedgehogs are up and about and being seen regularly in my garden. Historically in Yorkshire this has been April/May but in recent years, due to climate change, it can be March or even earlier. It is important to remember though that local conditions will vary, especially between the city and countryside so it is wise to check with your local hedgehog rescue and keep an eye on your local weather forecast.
Wherever possible, wild hedgehogs are returned back where they were found. They will remember the area and the food sources and nest sites. Hedgehogs can be seriously disadvantaged by being relocated, especially if they were rescued as an adult. Sometimes this isn’t possible though if the area has dangers – for example, if a hedgehog has been attacked multiple times by a dog in the garden or if it was found in a pond where the finders will not provide an escape route. I have strict criteria for new sites. It is less critical for hedgehogs rescued as young juvenile hoglets to return to the same site. However, because they will not know their new surroundings, I am particularly cautious when releasing them.
To give hedgehogs the best start back in the wild, the released hedgehogs are all supported for at least the first few weeks. They are provided with food and water daily and they are given nest boxes filled with dust extracted barley straw to give them shelter whilst they seek their own homes. This is particularly important if the hedgehog is going to a new area, because it will not be familiar with the best nesting sites.
It is a bittersweet time because they have been looked after for many months (the shortest stay in rescue is around a month) and I will miss them deeply but it is what hedgehog rescue is all about – getting them back to the wild to play their part in maintaining the wild population. Keeping them too long can cause them to get stressed and can actually lead to a number of problems starting, such as a secondary build up of internal parasites or conditions like ringworm (often linked to stress) so as soon as they are fit and well and the temperatures are okay, they are off!
Prior to release, all the rehabilitated wild hedgehogs are given a final health check. The release weight depends on the time of year and I allow a buffer because most will drop weight when they return to the wild. I will have checked a poo sample in the days and weeks leading up to their release to make sure they are parasite free (internal parasites can build up due to the stress of captivity) and they will have been gaining weight consistently (however, note that they should not be too fat either). Hedgehogs can’t dig in captivity like they would in the wild so some hedgehogs may also need a nail trim if their nails have curled (please seek advice on this as it can be quite difficult to do the first time).
You can read some other recent guidance on releasing over-wintered and rehabilitated hedgehogs back to the wild here.
Learning about hedgehogs
If you would like to learn more about caring for wild hedgehogs, including how to release those that have been looked after in a rescue, I run online hedgehog courses for all levels of knowledge and experience.
About me
If you have found the information on this website useful, please do take a look at the many ways in which you can support my wildlife work. You might also like my handmade wildlife jewellery which is sent with a rescue hedgehog postcard and information about helping hedgehogs. Of course I make hedgehog designs so it’s perfect for hedgehog lovers but I also make lots of other wildlife and nature themed pieces.
Little Silver Hedgehog 
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