Hedgehogs need a helping hand from Manx residents.

The Manx Hedgehog Conservation Society has had an increase in calls asking for information on how to help the creatures.

Sandy Huyton said: ’What we’re asking from the public is that they just put out a shallow bowl of water because if there’s any young hoglets or juveniles in that area they can get in and actually drown in a deeper bowl of water.

’So it needs to be shallow enough to keep them going that day and just top it up every day, it’s as simple as that.’

The society has been receiving calls about hedgehogs the size of grapefruit or smaller.

Hoglets and young hedgehogs are moset at risk because once they start growing teeth, the mother leaves them to fend for themselves.

Ms Huyton added: ’The mother has taken them on the best foraging experience she can.

’She shows them what to do and then she leaves them as soon as they get their little teeth.

’She does not want to feed them anymore so they are on their own.

’They can’t find the water, the slugs and snails have disappeared because it’s too dry and they just don’t know what to do and on average half of the juveniles die per year.

’These are our future adults to produce what mother nature intended, which was more hedgehogs to balance an ecosystem.’