Suche
Mein Konto
Hedgehogs in Berlin: Red alert! Reception center overcrowded and in need!
The acutely overloaded hedgehog station in Berlin-Hermsdorf is struggling with increasing animal welfare problems and a declining willingness to volunteer.
Hedgehogs in Berlin: Red alert! Reception center overcrowded and in need!
In Berlin-Hermsdorf, the hedgehog rescue station is facing an alarming situation: with 80 animals housed, the capacity of 55 stables is far exceeded, while Gabriele Gaede from the Hedgehog Protection Working Group reports that an additional 20 to 30 hedgehogs are being cared for at home. The station has already taken in 830 hedgehogs this year - with the decline in the hedgehog population being worrying. The state representative for animal protection, Kathrin Herrmann, cites the loss of habitats due to road construction, sealing of soils and the disappearance of food sources as the main cause. These factors force hedgehogs closer to people, where they are often in danger.
The critical situation of hedgehogs
The problem is compounded by a decline in volunteers, who are desperately needed, and a declining willingness among citizens to consider hedgehog adoptions. The problem described also has a health aspect: Many animals that are brought to the station are injured, sick or underweight - a weight of at least 600 grams is essential in order to survive hibernation. The situation is currently so tense that the station is thinking about new premises to create more space for the animals. Donations of food and medicine are also urgently needed, as Gaede emphasizes.
Particularly alarming is the mention of Wobbly Hedgehog Syndrome, an incurable disease that can affect some hedgehogs, as well as the awareness that loss of natural habitat has forced many forest leeches to live close to human settlements. This makes them more vulnerable to various dangers. The German Wildlife Foundation has chosen the hedgehog as Animal of the Year 2024 to draw attention to the threat. This year, the Western European hedgehog was added to the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List as "near threatened" for the first time, underscoring the urgency of the situation. The reports from tagesspiegel.de and igelverein.de make it clear that both short-term help and sustainable solutions are necessary to ensure the survival of hedgehogs.