When Elieen and Paul Swan spotted a strange trail in the snow outside their home in Scotland one winter morning, they were puzzled. Who had made it? There was only one way to find out. They followed the trail until they reached the end and discovered the culprit.
Highland Wildlife Rescue
For three years, the couple has been caring for the local hedgehogs with a feeding station they set up in their yard. One of the hedgehogs, later named Brora, wasn’t feeling well and decided he needed some food and water despite the nine inches of snow blanketing the ground. He plowed his way through the snow, ate and drank a little, then collapsed in the feeding station, too weak to go on.
And that’s exactly where the couple found him, waiting for someone to rescue him.
Hedgehogs hibernate during the winter months and go into an energy-saving state. They don’t typically wake up during this time unless something is wrong, which led the couple to believe that Brora needed help.
Highland Wildlife Rescue
“[He] was extremely thin, dehydrated and cold when they found him asleep in the feeding station,” Jane Wilson, center manager at Highland Wildlife Rescue, told The Dodo. “The 9 inches of snow and sub-zero overnight temperature had left him with all his energy sapped, no reserves and not much chance of survival.”
Brora was eventually transferred into the care of Highland Wildlife Rescue, where staff immediately went about getting him the care he needed. He had parasites and was very underweight, which was why he had been struggling.
“He’s being kept warm, has received fluid therapy, medication for his parasites, and lots of protein-rich food to rebuild his strength, muscles and stamina,” Wilson said.
Highland Wildlife Rescue
If the Swans hadn’t followed that trail in the snow, Brora might not have been found in time. The little guy is grateful to all of his rescuers and is doing extremely well thanks to everyone’s help.
“We hope to take him back to his home in spring, to get back to his wild life,” Wilson said.
If you’d like to help Brora, you can donate to Highland Wildlife Rescue.
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