HEDGEHOGS, CUTE NIGHT CREATURES, REPRESENT A PROTECTED SPECIES OF GREAT ECOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE. BELONGING TO THE FAMILY ERINACEIDAE, THEY ARE TERRITORIAL AND INSECTIVATIVE ANIMALS, KNOWN AS TRUE SUPPORTERS OF THE ECOSYSTEM. MONGE PROTECTS AND PROTECTS THESE MAMMALS
The hedgehogs: the “Gardener Friends”
The insectivorous diet of ricci, helps control populations of harmful insects and contributes to pest control and plant health. Hence the nickname the gardener’s friends.
The rapid decline of their population is a wake-up call about the health of our planet. These adorable creatures, which have been around in various forms for about fifteen million years, are facing a serious threat due to human activities. In Europe, their numbers have declined by 70% in just twenty years, while in England, according to estimates, the population has declined dramatically since 1970, dropping from 30 million to fewer than eight hundred thousand individuals.
If “sprotected species that are part of the wild fauna of the area and are therefore not nIt is hunting nIt is keep in captivity” are protected by law 11/02/1992, n.157 – Berne Convention and by law 5/8/1981, n.503, in force for Italy since 1/6/1982.
About that, Massimo Vacchettaveterinarian of the Ricci Center “The Ninna”stated that «If we don’t do anything to stop the decline of this species, hedgehogs will become extinct within ten to twenty years. If such common animals are one step away from extinction, we will be next, because we are – for all intents and purposes – one step away from the sixth mass extinction. It is our duty to protect them because our survival also depends on the health of the hedgehogs”.
The role of global warming and the dramatic decline of the species
According to data from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), 2021 was one of the seven warmest years on record. Climate change could cause temperatures to rise by 4 to 6 degrees this century, wreaking havoc on the environment we live in. This increase is already visible in seasonal changes and the decrease in winter snowfall. As animals that hibernate in winter, hedgehogs are particularly vulnerable to sudden changes in temperature.
Abrupt changes not only alter their hibernation, but can also affect reproductive cycles, leading to poorly timed nests, contributing to the decline of hedgehog populations in many regions.
A documented emergency
To tackle the drastic decline of the hedgehog population, the Hedgehog Center of Novello (Cuneo) has entered into a valuable collaboration with the Department of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Turin (DSV). The partnership aims to investigate the causes of hospital admissions and deaths among hedgehogs to document the scale of the emergency.
The research, coordinated by the professor Maria Teresa Capucchio, which will involve not only the DSV, but also other Italian universities, including Teramo, Bari and Milan, and European institutions. The project aims to define the parameters of the blood metabolic profile of these small mammals and to study the infectious and parasitic agents that could threaten the health of hedgehogs and the surrounding environment.
A fundamental aspect of the research will be the analysis of the possible development of antibiotic resistance in hedgehogs after a hospital stay of at least 10-15 days, as well as the evaluation of any changes in their intestinal microbiota. Hedgehogs hospitalized and animals that died at the DSV Non-Conventional Animal Center (CANC) and the “La Ninna” Hedgehog Recovery Center will be included in the study.
Alarming data about hedgehog health
The data available so far has been obtained through a detailed analysis of the animals that died at the CANC in the period from January 2018 to July 2022, as well as the hedgehogs that died in 2022 at the “La Ninna” Center. one hundred and sixty specimens were included in the study.
The results that emerged are in line with the evidence from the scientific literature. Trauma, debilitation and infectious diseases, which mainly affect the lungs or gastrointestinal tract, are emerging as leading causes of hospital admissions and deaths in small mammals.
It is important to underline that the increase in parasitic diseases could be related to climate change and the loss of hedgehogs’ natural habitat caused by human activities. The lack of traditional prey could prompt them to feed on animals harboring potentially deadly parasites.
Among the parasitic diseases, lungworm infections are often found. However, further studies are needed to fully understand the ecology of these parasites and the pathogenesis of the lesions they cause. Extensive histological and microbiological research is currently being conducted to evaluate the role of infectious agents in hedgehog mortality and contributing to the decline of their population. These efforts are crucial to better understand the challenges that threaten this species and to develop conservation strategies aimed at ensuring its survival in the increasingly uncertain and threatening environment in which it lives.
An important partnership
«I believe that the collaboration between the two centers will allow us to know the causes of death and diseases of hedgehogs in Piedmont so that we can implement adequate prophylactic measures. adds Professor Capucchio -. It is important to work now to prevent these small mammals, essential in the ecosystem, from becoming extinct, with very serious consequences for the environment around us. A better understanding of the infectious and/or infesting agents that may be transmitted is equally essential to monitor the circulation of biological agents in the environment and the potential risks to other living species from a One Health perspective! It is also very important to evaluate the impact of hospital admissions on the gut microbiota and on the development of antibiotic resistance to understand the extent to which anthropization can lead to changes/emergence that are potentially detrimental to animal health and ecosystem balance.”.
Next step
The next step will be the transformation of the Ricci Center “The Nina” in the first hospital and research center entirely dedicated to hedgehogs, led by veterinarian Massimo Vacchetta.
It is useful to point out that the Ricci Center “The Ninna” welcomes an increasing number of these adorable mammals every year. Among them are people who are disabled by human activities, such as traffic accidents or injuries caused by robotic lawnmowers and lawn mowers. Other hedgehogs are found in critical conditions, often due to the effects of climate change, such as the inability to hibernate or a lack of food due to the massive use of chemicals in agriculture.
How do you recognize a hedgehog in trouble?
A hedgehog weighing approximately less than 300 grams in October, 400 grams in November and 500 grams in December should be collected and taken to a sanctuary.
A hedgehog that wanders during the day should always be found and rescued as it is a nocturnal animal and its presence during the day could indicate a health problem.
Hedgehogs found along the roads, if injured, should be taken to a shelter immediately as they need urgent help.
Massimo Vaccheta veterinarian and writer
Massimo Vacchetta shared his extraordinary experience in the international best-selling book “25 grams of happiness”, translated into 14 languages, and in three other books: “Hedgehog heart” (Sperling & Kupfer, 2019), “Ninna, the little hedgehog with a big heart” (Piemme, 2019), “Tell me something good” (Sperling & Kupfer, 2021). The extraordinary story told in the first part has already aroused interest in its adaptation into animated films.
Monge supports the Ricci “La Ninna” Center
For the second year in a row, Monge, a leading company in the pet food sector in Italy, has donated a significant amount of kibble to the “La Ninna” Ricci Center in Novello (Cuneo), which will be used to cover the entire annual need of the little ones , patients. The Piedmontese company is also appreciated for its commitment to research not tested on animals and in the field of environmental protection and biodiversity. It stands out, for example, for its support to the UCIS (Italian Rescue Dog Units), involved in training dogs for rescue operations in disasters or emergencies. It also supports the Meyer Foundation of Florence, a children’s hospital that has successfully implemented the program Therapy for pets. Therapy aimed at improving the well-being of hospitalized children through interaction with animals.
“Thanks to Monge’s donation, we can save economic resources that will be allocated to the ‘Hedgehog Emergency Room’ project, which will be an integral part of the larger project that has just started: the construction of the first hospital in Europe dedicated exclusively to this is sacred kind» concludes Vacchetta.
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