A WILDLIFE charity in Beckford is urgently appealing for donations after the early arrival of winter caught out hundreds of young hedgehogs.
About 160 of the spikey creatures, many of which were underweight, have been brought into the care of Vale Wildlife Hospital and are currently costing the charity £800 a week in food bills alone.
The animals need to build up their fat reserves in order to survive winter and residents are being urged to look out for any animals which appear to be struggling.
Animal lovers can do their bit by providing tinned cat or dog food, or cat complete biscuits and access to fresh water at all times, but never milk and bread as this can be lethal to hedgehogs.
They can also give donations of food or money to the charity to help them bring the hedgehogs up to weight before hibernation.
Vale Wildlife Trust is also looking for fosterers to care for some of the hedgehogs during the winter months. For more details, email info@valewildlife.org.uk.
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