Pembrokeshire Hogspital have urged people to contact them following a very sad incident last week when a distressed hedgehog failed to survive after the finder did not follow professional advice until it was too late!

A hedgehog which is seen out and about during daylight hours is in distress and needs expert help. Do not try to care for the hedgehog yourself.

They are very complex creatures and require specialist medical care and treatment in order to give them the best chance of a full recovery.

Members of the public are urged to follow the following advice:

• Please don’t leave him – using a towel or gardening gloves gently pick him up, place him in a high sided box and bring indoors.

• Fill a hot water bottle with warm water, wrap it in a towel and place under the Hedgehog.

• Offer it water – never milk.

• Place the box somewhere quiet away from children and pets and phone Ginny on 07974681659 or Russ on 07974866040 from the Pembrokeshire Hogspital in Haverfordwest for advice.

An emergency can be when a hedgehog is: Struggling to breathe; Lying on its side, collapsed or unable to stand squealing; Bleeding, injured, struggling to walk, dragging a limb has flies around it; A hoglet or hoglets out on their own during the day.

Hedgehogs are not pets, they are wild animals and should be treated as such if they are to recover and survive back in the wild.

All rescued sick and injured hedgehogs receive the specialist care required and are rehabilitated back into the wild directly from Pembrokeshire Hogspital.