Photo: Oksana Schmidt / Moment / Getty Images
A couple in Scotland transformed their home into a full-blown hedgehog hospital – complete with incubators, a maternity ward, and even a fleet of volunteer hedgehog ambulances.
Sharon and Andy Longhurst of Burntisland, Scotland, started by rescuing two sick hedgehogs and nursing them back to health in their garage. That garage now houses seven incubators and 40 cages – and they’ve treated more than 567 hedgehogs since launching the rescue.
Sharon, a school crossing guard, and Andy, a bus driver, juggle their day jobs while caring for hedgehogs around the clock.
“If there’s a hedgehog out there that needs help and it’s in pain, I can’t say no,” Sharon said.
Of the hundreds of hedgehogs they’ve treated, 65% have survived and been released back into the wild – a remarkable feat considering the fact that European hedgehogs are now listed as "near threatened" due to habitat loss and other environmental pressures.
“We’ll do this until we’re unable to,” Andy said. “They’re adorable – really lovely animals.”