Hi Gr8mums,
I asked a similar question of BHPS a couple of years ago – similar response to the one Nic got above.
I hope they do more on this with RSPCA and experts going forward, as there is a risk I fear for all wild animals in this respect.
It is illegal, however, to keep any wild animal captive (and breed them in captivity). so there is a grey area as to why someone takes a creature from the wild in the first place and what they do with them. Fortunately in most cases, it is that people are trying to do the right thing, but unfortunately, most wild animals have particular and specific needs, known only to those who are knowledgeable in this regard (they are not pets), but in trying to help or nurse them, the tendency is to treat them as we do pets and domesticated animals.
Anyone suspecting that a wild animal is being kept captive when it shouldn’t be, or acting as a rescue, when they haven’t the skills, should report this.
It works both for and against the hedgehog that as a species, they are so accessible to us – unlike birds, badgers and foxes etc, you can, with relatively little effort, get hold of one. people do often refer to hedgehogs in their area / garden as being considered to be their hedgehogs, when clearly they are not, even if we feed them and provide shelter – they are gracing us with their presence, and that is how I, for one, would wish it to remain.
