Hedgehog found in winter: what should you do?

First, look at where it is and how it behaves. A hedgehog curled up and still in a pile of leaves, under logs or in another sheltered spot is most likely hibernating: cover it back up and leave it alone.

If it is out in the open in daylight, wobbling, injured or has flies around it, it needs help: protect your hands, put it in a box and contact a vet.

Good intentions can harm a hedgehog found in winter. Never give it milk or bread, and do not take a healthy hedgehog indoors. Read more about the species on its profile: southern white-breasted hedgehog.

The table lists the most common situations. Each one is explained in more detail below.

A hibernating hedgehog can look lifeless. According to the British Hedgehog Preservation Society, during hibernation its breathing almost stops, about one breath every few minutes, and its body temperature can fall to around 10°C or lower. A cold, still hedgehog is therefore not necessarily dead.

Do not prod or dig it out to check. If it lies in a sheltered nest, cover it back up and leave it. If it lies out in the open, injured or in an unusual place, treat it as a hedgehog that needs help.

Georgia's hedgehog is the southern white-breasted hedgehog (Erinaceus concolor); the 2023 checklist of Georgia's insectivores lists no other hedgehog. In Georgian it is often called the “European hedgehog”, although the western European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) does not live in Georgia.

Most practical advice on hedgehogs in winter comes from British organisations and was written for the western European hedgehog, a close relative. Use it as general guidance: our sources give no exact hibernation months or weights for Georgia.

According to the British Hedgehog Preservation Society, hedgehogs wake often during hibernation but rarely leave the nest; if the nest gets too cold, they may build a new one. Disturbance or unexpectedly warm weather can also wake them.

Hedgehog Street notes that each hedgehog is likely to move nest at least once during the winter, so it can sometimes be seen out and about, and that in mild winters hedgehogs can stay active into November and December.

A hedgehog out in daylight is a different matter. According to the Wildlife Aid Foundation, unless it is a warm winter day or the female is pregnant, this almost certainly means something is wrong.

The British Hedgehog Preservation Society and the Wildlife Aid Foundation name these signs. If you see any of them, the hedgehog needs help.

• It is lethargic or lying out in the open.
• It wobbles, staggers or walks in circles.
• It is lying asleep in the sun.
• It has flies around it, or it is injured.
• It is trapped, for example in netting or a hole.
• It is out in daylight.
• It looks very small for winter: the British Hedgehog Preservation Society calls young hedgehogs under 450 g vulnerable, and the Wildlife Aid Foundation says hedgehogs under 600 g must go to a wildlife centre.

Hedgehog Street warns that any disturbance during hibernation can be extremely dangerous. The Wildlife Aid Foundation advises against moving a hedgehog that is hibernating or about to hibernate, and to cover an uncovered nest back up quickly.

1. Stop working in that spot.
2. Gently put the leaves or nest material back over the hedgehog.
3. Do not move it to another place.
4. Do not take it into the house, shed or garage.
5. Leave the spot alone and keep away from it for the rest of the winter.

These steps follow the first aid advice of the British Hedgehog Preservation Society. They are only for the time until a vet sees the hedgehog.

1. Protect your hands with gardening gloves or a folded towel and pick the hedgehog up.
2. Put it in a deep-sided box with an old towel or fleece in the bottom so it can hide.
3. Wrap a hot water bottle in a towel and put it in the box, leaving room for the hedgehog to move off it. Keep the bottle warm: a cooled one makes things worse.
4. Keep the box in a quiet place.
5. Offer fresh water and meaty cat or dog food. Never milk or bread.
6. Contact a vet as soon as possible. If the hedgehog is clearly in pain, take it to a vet straight away.

According to the RSPCA, hedgehogs are lactose intolerant, so they should never be given milk. Bread is not nutritious for them.

The Wildlife Aid Foundation warns that bread and milk is not a healthy diet for this carnivorous mammal and can be fatal to hedgehogs. It also advises against peanuts and mealworms.

The British Hedgehog Preservation Society discourages keeping healthy hedgehogs in sheds or garages over winter to protect them from the cold.

Warmth does not help a hibernating hedgehog: according to the same society, at about 10°C it uses up its fat reserves twice as fast as at the optimum of about 4°C. A wild hedgehog is also not a pet; if it is healthy, leave it where it is.

The RSPCA and the Wildlife Aid Foundation name these risks to hedgehogs during autumn and winter garden work.

• Before burning a pile of leaves or branches, check it: the RSPCA warns that hedgehogs may nest in bonfire piles.
• Leave leaf and log piles in place: they are where hedgehogs build their winter nests.
• Take care with strimmers, mowers and garden forks: the Wildlife Aid Foundation sees serious injuries from them.
• If a hedgehog is caught in netting, cut the netting free around it and take the hedgehog to a vet or wildlife rescue.