A Hedgehog Sanctuary

From Tony Thain

For some years, Tonia at the old Dairy at Achnaha has been treating injured, ill and underweight hedgehogs. Very often she has to overwinter the animals as they do not come up to weight [600 gms] in time for them build a hibernation nest before the cold weather sets in. The answer is to let them go in the spring as fully fit animals with no parasites and often at a weight that allows them a fighting chance in the wild.

Although Autumn is the busiest time, animals are brought in throughout the year with injuries or they have been found in daylight hours acting unnaturally. Remember, hedgehogs are nocturnal animals. The intentions are to treat, get up to weight, make well and then release the hedgehogs. Sometimes there are animals who are too injured to survive in the wild; then we look after them throughout their lives.

Tonia started her hobby of looking after hedgehogs in the 1960s when, as a stud groom at a Connemara Pony stud in the Cotswolds, she found a family of hoglets whose mother had been killed. She fed the youngsters, taking them with her to many horse shows as they needed feeding every couple of hours. Eventually the youngsters were weaned and released back into the wild.

Tonia's interest in helping wild life was further expanded when she took up a new job at the Cotswold Wild life Park near Burford, looking after the owners Hunters and Thoroughbred horses. She brought up two Jackdaw chicks that had been abandoned by their mother. It was quite a sight to see 5' 2" of Tonia walking two 16-hand hunters and a Jackdaw flying alongside and, eventually, landing on Tonia's head. The two horses did not seem to be phased by the presence of a wild bird in close proximity.

Tonia's love of hedgehogs came to the fore when we found a juvenile hedgehog in my workshop at the Old Dairy. Peanuts, as he became known , had walked through an oil tray and while cleaning himself off had ingested the oil. In the end he became our first house guest at the Old Dairy as the oil had damaged his stomach. Since Peanuts, Tonia has treated many poorly animals, most found around Achnaha, but many brought to us by like minded local people. Many of the locals have helped Tonia with hay, old newspapers etc. which Tonia is most grateful for as she is not supported financially by any organisation or individuals.

If you are driving through Achnaha at night or during dusk, please drive slowly and carefully as there may be one of Tonia's rescued hedgehogs crossing the road for food as there are always feeding, watering and accommodation stations scattered around our garden for all the local hedgehogs.