“Never-ending” heatwave drives 57% year-on-year surge in hedgehog admissions at Cornish rescue centre (Press Release)

‍14 August 2026, Newquay - Prickles and Paws Hedgehog Rescue is reporting a dramatic rise in the number of hedgehogs arriving for care this year, with extreme summer temperatures contributing to the pressure on the region’s vulnerable hedgehog population.

Between January and the end of July 2026 the rescue admitted 728 hedgehogs, with numbers particularly high during July which saw a record-breaking 253 admissions compared with 161 in July 2025 - an increase of 57.1% year on year. The rescue has so far reached a maximum of 151 hedgehogs on site at one time. Despite the unprecedented number of admissions, the team has also achieved a record number of releases, with 104 hedgehogs returned to the wild during July alone.

Infographic showing 2026 admissions to Prickles and Paws Hedgehog Rescue

Heatwave adds pressure to already vulnerable hedgehogs

The prolonged period of hot weather has presented additional challenges for hedgehogs, which can struggle to find sufficient food and water when conditions are exceptionally dry. Young, injured, dehydrated and otherwise vulnerable animals can be particularly badly affected.

Charity Co-Founder and Rescue Director Katy South said: “The never-ending heatwave has meant that for all wildlife food and water has become scarcer and scarcer; not only are we seeing a rise in dehydrated and underweight hedgehogs coming into the rescue, we are also seeing an alarming number of abandoned baby hedgehogs (hoglets). Our team suspect this is linked with the dry weather and mothers unable to cope and raise their young through to weaning. Hoglets need specialist care, with feeds every two hours around the clock for the tiniest ones – you can imagine the pressure this puts on our small team. However we are incredibly relieved that we have our new purpose-built Hogspital to operate from now, as there is no way we could have coped with these numbers back in our former site, which was a residential back garden setting with limited capacity.  We will be forever grateful to all of our supporters and funders for helping us to make this a reality.”

Prickles and Paws CEO John Lewis said: “The pressure on the rescue at the moment is immense, but the care team are so incredibly passionate and hardworking they are just making it happen. They are releasing almost as many rehabilitated hedgehogs as they are admitting, which is a time-consuming process in itself, but frees up essential incubators and hutches for the stream of new admissions. We would encourage households in Cornwall to leave shallow dishes of clean water and cat or kitten biscuits, or a reputable brand of hedgehog food, in their gardens each night to help their local hedgehog population. Water in particular is a vital life source for all wildlife at the moment.”

How members of the public can help

The rescue is urging people across the UK to continue looking out for hedgehogs, particularly during periods of extreme weather. Anyone who finds a hedgehog that appears injured, weak, lethargic, out during the day and showing signs of distress, or otherwise in need of help, should contact their local wildlife rescue for advice rather than attempting to care for it themselves. During hot weather, members of the public can also help hedgehogs by providing fresh drinking water, cat or dog food, and by creating wildlife-friendly areas in their gardens where hedgehogs can find natural shelter and food.

People can also support the increased costs of food, medication and specialist care of hedgehogs at Prickles and Paws by joining ‘Prickle Planet’, its regular giving scheme, from just £3 per month.

Prickles and Paws is a much-loved independent charity based just outside Newquay, with a growing community of more than 46,000 social media followers and the backing of patrons including model and television personality Lucie Donlan, BBC Earth presenter Hannah Stitfall and author and spokesperson for the British Hedgehog Preservation Society, Hugh Warwick. Alongside providing expert hedgehog care, the charity plays an active role in the local community, bringing people together through volunteering opportunities, educational talks and work placements, and contributing to vital research into hedgehog conservation.

ENDS

NOTES FOR EDITORS 

Prickles and Paws Hedgehog Rescue is a registered charity (No. 1174597) specialising in hedgehog rescue and welfare. 

Prickles and Paws was founded by mother and daughter duo Diane and Katy. It all began with the rehabilitation of two hoglets through to release. Having attended wildlife rehabilitation courses and with guidance and support from other rescues and vets, the rescue started to grow. Diane found a new vocation and began to work full-time for the charity. Katy completed a degree in Applied Zoology, published a peer-reviewed scientific paper on hedgehog parasitology, and completed a research master’s degree based on hedgehogs, leading to two further scientific papers. Prickles and Paws became a registered charity in 2017. 

Named “Prickles and Paws” by the local primary school, the charity has grown rapidly over the past few years, now admitting around 1,400 hedgehogs each year. In early 2026 the team moved into a new purpose-built facility which allows it to provide care for a greater number of hedgehogs than ever before.

The charity has animal welfare as its fundamental focus, offering expert advice (receiving over 5,000 calls from concerned members of the public from all over the country each year), rescue, rehabilitation and care while concentrating on successful release back to the wild. Shockingly, hedgehog numbers have declined by 60% over the past 30 years leading to them being classified as ‘vulnerable to extinction’ in the UK in 2020*, so every hedgehog really does matter.

Prickles and Paws will continue research into wildlife care and rehabilitation, d wishes to inspire learning and conservation through improving the knowledge and understanding of hedgehogs for all through educational talks, workshops and online engagement.

*https://www.iucnredlist.org/ 

https://www.pricklesandpaws.org  

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