The Moorland Garden Hotel in Dartmoor in Devon is helping to rehabilitate four pairs of homeless hedgehogs in their tranquil grounds.

Currently facing a dramatic decline across the UK, the prickly mammals are being re-homed with the help of rescue charity Hedgehog Care and Rehab in Plymouth. The nine acres of gardens at the hotel provide the ideal new home for the creatures.

"A hedgehog friendly garden is one with areas of undisturbed grass, wide herbaceous borders and lots of shrubs or hedgerow," says Linda Squires from Hedgehog Care and Rehab in Plymouth. "Release gardens need to be away from main roads, clear of slug pellets or chemicals, away from badger setts and runs and any ponds or ditches need to have ramps to allow hedgehogs to climb out," she continues.

"Hedgehogs are a wonderful asset to any garden - endearing to see and ready to eat the occasional slug or snail - making them a friend to all gardeners. These exquisite creatures will be extinct in this country by 2020 unless significant changes are made. This is where we can make a difference to their survival, by rescuing and rehabilitating all the sick, injured and orphaned ones that we are contacted about. A huge thank you to our existing hedgehog release garden owners, people who have contacted and are on the list for visits, and our latest hedgehog friendly garden at the Moorland Garden Hotel. I'm sure they will be really happy here!"

Welcoming the new guests, Jonathan Tracey, Head Gardener at The Moorland Garden Hotel says: "Linda has been able to educate us on how to look after the hedgehogs and I'm very excited about the addition to our beautiful gardens, hopefully they will make themselves right at home."

Hedgehog Care and Rehab started in 2005 when a family of hedgehogs appeared in Linda's garden. The hoglets were too small to survive winter hibernation so she brought them in, to feed and keep warm, before their spring release. They now regularly have 30 hedgehogs in care. 

"This last Autumn was a particularly bad time for our wild hedgehogs," says Linda. "So many hypothermic, malnourished and injured hedgehogs arrived, that by November we had 54 on site. This prompted a Spotlight item asking for hedgehog fosterers. The response was excellent. We now regularly foster, but are always looking for more people with a spare room or garage (where the temperature can be controlled) to foster. In this way we hope we will be able to meet the needs of all the hedgehogs brought to us."

Hedgehog Care and Rehab is a not-for-profit group and rely on donations to cover food, medical expenses and other costs. For further information, or advice on sick or injured hedgehogs please phone the British Hedgehog Preservation Society on 01584 890801 or Linda on 01752 366951 / 0758 523 0527.

The Moorland Garden Hotel is running a competition to name their newest guests and win lunch for four at The Wildflower Restaurant. Visit their Facebook page for more information and to enter www.facebook.com/themoorlandgardenhotel.

-ENDS-

PICTURED ARE: Jonathan Tracey, Head Gardener at Moorland Garden Hotel and Linda Squires from Hedgehog Care and Rehab.

For further information please contact:
Samantha Kirton
Tel: +44 (0)778 616 6556
Email: samantha@independentpr.co.uk