Tag Archives: The Hogsprickle

THE new year has arrived mild and wet. Nature is getting confused here at The Hogsprickle; we have flowers blooming that should be asleep. Our hedgehogs are all awake, hungry and grumpy and, unfortunately, it still too early to release them, so they will continue to enjoy their B&B here until the weather is mild enough for them to go into the outside runs to acclimatise, before release back to the wild. The birds that were released during last year are, mostly, still around, as the garden is full of birds looking for an easy meal. Fat balls and bird seeds are an important supplement at this time, as the birds now need to put on condition and attract a mate ready to raise this year’s family. Although it’s mild, you still need to keep an eye out for wildlife that may be injured or made homeless due to the heavy rainfall flooding ground nests of hedgehogs, foxes and other …

WE have had a busy couple of weeks at The Hogsprickle. One of the vets at Ceithre Cos Vets in Tulla phoned concerned about a fallow deer fawn that had been hit by a car. The driver rescued the fawn and took him to the vet to be checked. We picked up the fawn following rescue protocols, as dealing with deer is not an easy job. They are terrified of human contact and can sometime die with the stress of being handled, especially if injured. This little female was in such shock she stayed quiet and her head was covered while we transported her to The Hogsprickle to be stabilised, before transport to the specialist wildlife unit in Kildare. Their vet, who specialises in wildlife, confirmed a break in her pelvis. She is in the hands of the rehabilitators at Kildare and, paws crossed, she makes it back to the wild. The same week we got a call about a …