Bishopthorpe Palace rewilding for orphaned hedgehogs

Dringhouses Hedgehog Rescue released the now ‘fit and healthy’ 600 gram-plus hedgehogs – Corsa, Ginger, Kermit and Peanut - at Bishopthorpe Palace, official residence of The Archbishop of York, on July 31.

The rescue, founded and run by Sarah Patterson from her garden in Dringhouses, took in the approximately ten-day-old siblings in mid-June, when they each weighed between 80 grams and 112 grams.

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They were brought in by Debbie Shirt from the farm in Appleton Roebuck where she lives, after their mother died.

The annual badgeholder manager at York Racecourse, which keep adult hedgehog houses dotted around the Knavesmire facility, passed them onto booking manager Karen Dunbar, who also cares for some injured animals found on the 120-acre site before they can be released.

The siblings put on weight thanks to the care of Dringhouses Hedgehog Rescue (Image: Dringhouses Hedgehog Rescue)

Karen recognised that the babies needed specialist care, and Debbie remembered the rescue from a fundraising stall they ran at a Racecourse event last October.

Debbie said: “We do find a lot of hedgehogs and if they’re older Karen looks after them.

“Sarah is amazing, she’s nurtured them and it’s great to know that we can call her.”

Sarah Patterson said she wasted no time in establishing a two-hourly syringe feeding routine – day and night – but Corsa needed more intensive care.

The weakest of the four was named by one of the rescue’s regular donators Duane Sykes, from Acomb, who regularly drops off the food and formula milk needed to keep Dringhouses Hedgehog Rescue going and even does emergency runs for supplies.

Izzy Brown helped throughout the nursing process and with a presentation on hedgehog welfare to a York brownie pack (Image: Dringhouses Hedgehog Rescue)

Within ten days the four hedgehogs were putting on weight and, along with volunteer Izzy Brown, Sarah nursed them in preparation for their return to the wild.

Zac Rafferty, Archbishop Stephen, Sarah Patterson, and Palace Warden David Atkinson at the Bishopthorpe rewilding (Image: Dringhouses Hedgehog Rescue)

Sarah and 15-year-old Izzy, currently completing a Duke of Edinburgh Bronze award, took Kermit and Peanut along to a 'show and tell' for a York brownie pack, giving an informative talk on the protection and care of hedgehogs.

Sarah Patterson said: “Izzy has been a great asset in the care of the four ‘hogs’, I couldn’t have done this without her.”

A few days before release, Karen Dunbar briefly babysat for the foursome whilst Sarah was away.

Release day was a special occasion at Bishopthorpe Palace for the rewilding, which included the team from York Racecourse, with their head gardener Zac Rafferty, as well as the David Atkinson,  the Palace Warden.

Joining them was The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, who blessed the hedgehogs before helping with their release into the Bishopthorpe Palace grounds.

Sarah Patterson paid tribute to all who support Dringhouses Hedgehog Rescue and also thanked York Racecourse for their donations.

Contributions help provide food, medicine and veterinary fees.