Today we said a fond farewell to a special lady who has been with us for several months – Layla.
She originally came to us with awful strimmer injuries to her face and head, The wounds on her face were so deep, it left part of the bone to her nose exposed. It took many weeks to heal
Eight weeks ago it was discovered that she had given birth to four hoglets just a couple of days before she was due to be released. This meant she had to stay with us until her hoglets were fully weaned and independent.
At around eight weeks old, they would naturally leave the nest and go their own way in the world and would have no further contact with their siblings or mother.
So Layla is now back where she belongs – in the wild. As you can see from the photos, she has distinct facial scarring as a result of her injuries, but is in every other way, just a normal hedgehog. Her human “mum” had bought her a brand new house and is using her old house as a feeding station. She has left us in good weight and ready for the winter weather.
Her babies will stay with us for a while longer, but once they reach a good weight they will also be released into the same garden.
Thanks to Jeanette Mitcheson for the release photos. We know our volunteers will miss her. What a character! We hope she sticks around to enjoy her new house!
