Hi Tony
Normally you would have been able to get contact details of your nearest carer, as well as some alternatives, from the BHPS. That information is normally available out of office hours. If that had happened, all should have gone fairly easily. It’s so much easier if you can actually speak to someone and explain the full circumstances. It seems you were unlucky on this occasion – it happens.
The minimum weight advice for a hog in the wild is interpreted, depending on various circumstances, which include whether a hog is being supplementary fed or not. In her most recent post, Stef interpreted the advice according to the criteria which she gave (i.e. If a hedgehog is getting a good food source that it is coming to regularly and in all other ways exhibiting normal behaviour then she would not consider anything over 350g needed rescuing). It is not the advice which conflicts with that of BHPS, but rather the circumstances which are variable.
Because of the nature of a Forum, other people may read the advice here and follow it without making contact, so it’s useful if any advice is appropriate to others as well. In other words, it would be wrong to assume that hogs need rescuing at 400g in all circumstances. The information Stef gave in her most recent post is very useful as it sets out clearly and concisely circumstances when there is no need to rescue hogs which are 350g or over. Stef always gives good advice and we are very lucky to have such an experienced person, in caring rehabilitating hogs, giving up so much of their time to help and advise on the Forum.
At least now you’ll have a pretty good idea of what a 400g. hog looks like should one turn up in your own garden! (Or even if you should meet any more down town.) Hopefully all will work out well for the little hog in the end, despite some ups and downs along the way. Good luck with the hand over. I hope the little hog does well and can return safe and healthy to its home range, in due course.
