A charity has said hedgehogs are waking up earlier from hibernation this year due to the ’mild winter’.

The Manx Hedgehog Conservation Society has been receiving calls about hedgehogs ’out and about’ earlier than usual. Hedgehogs usually hibernate from October and November through to March or April.

But during mild winters they can remain active well into November and December as well as wake up earlier than March.

Sandy Huyton, chair of the charity, said: ’This has happened because we haven’t had a lot of cold spells this winter, it’s been very mild.

’We’ve had adult hedgehogs that are waking up from hibernation early. The ones that are older will usually recognise they need to go back into hibernation because they’re the right weight and they can survive it, but the younger hedgehogs recognise they haven’t got the right weight (a minimum of 600 grams) and they stay awake to forage to build up their fat reserves.’

Miss Huyton explained that the public need to be ’more observant’ as hedgehogs wake from hibernation.

Hedgehogs waking early from hibernation isn’t particularly common.

'About 10 to 12 years ago I saw a tiny hedgehog on the pavement in February which would indicate the female has gone into breeding in December because they come out of the nest about eight weeks old,' Miss Huyton said. 'But other than that this doesn’t happen often.’

When asked about advice the charity gives, she said: 'Leave it as it is unless it’s in immediate danger, like on a road. They are wild creatures, we can’t just whip them all up, we have to give them the best chance for survival.

'People should feed them cat or dog food (not the fish variety). When the hedgehogs have awakened they will have lost 40% of their weight and be dehydrated, so wet food is more beneficial.’

You can call MHCS’s volunteer helpline on 413921 for advice.