'True Boltonian' baby hedgehog rocks up at Carrs Pasties

Workers at the bakery firm's store on Manchester Road in Great Lever found Vogue, a seven-week-old hedgehog, on Tuesday, October 15 after she had crossed the A6 main road.

The tiny 200g hoglet had made it in one piece – and staff promptly took her to Westhoughton hedgehog rescue, The Hoggery.

She’s been settling in and finding she prefers kitten biscuits to pasties.

Jayne Schofield, 47, The Hoggery’s founder, said: “A man who works at the pasty shop called our rescue saying that a small hedgehog had turned up and was being looked after.

“She’s a true Boltonian hedgehog.

“And made it across the A6 to make her way into Carrs Pasties.

“Thankfully the staff got in touch and brought her over to me.

Vogue the Hedgehog shows up at Carrs Pasties (Image: Public)

“One of the girls in the shop had named her Vogue. Apparently, she’s a big Madonna fan.

“It wasn’t until Vogue was dropped her off that I’d found out she’d managed to cross the main road and toddle into the shop.

“She’s a baby, about the size of the palm of your hand.

“And very lucky somebody found her.

“She’s a quiet, calm girl and is settling in well.

“And has decided she likes kitten biscuits better than pasties.

“That’s what we feed our baby hedgehogs. A lot like hedgehog biscuits, but also kitten and dog biscuits. They’re really fussy.”

And in autumn, a lot of baby hedgehogs like Vogue are seen out in the day.

Jayne said: “Many people contact us this time of year saying they’ve seen them.

“They are nocturnal animals, so if one is outside during the day, it needs help.

“And often medical assistance.

“Hedgehogs often have two litters, one in the beginning of the summer and another in early September.

Vogue the baby hedgehog thriving at hedgehog rescue, the Hoggery (Image: Public)

“The autumn babies struggle because the temperatures start to dip and they’re young, leaving their mum at only six weeks old.

“They’re old enough to be on their own, but too small to hibernate.

“If the weather was warmer and there was plentiful food, they’d just about survive.

“But because it’s cold in autumn, they struggle to get up to a safe weight to survive the winter and hibernate.

“Their natural food, caterpillars and beetles, has been massively depleted.

“Because in the UK, we’ve got rid of a lot of hedgerow where they forage.

“They end up having to eat worms and slugs, which carry parasites that make them sick.

“And because of climate change, autumns have been very wet.

“Some of the nests get flooded out, causing the babies to get separated from their mums.

“That’s why so many end up in rescues."

She added: “It’s getting worse. I’ve been doing this for six years.

“We used to get very few hedgehogs coming into the rescue in winter.

“They used to hibernate, not anymore.

“Now, we find they go to sleep through a cold snap and wake up when it gets warmer.

“They need rescuing in winter or else they won’t survive.”

To learn more about The Hoggery and help hedgehogs like Vogue, visit https://www.facebook.com/thehoggery/