HEDGEHOGS, ADORABLE NIGHT-NIGHT CREATURES, REPRESENT A PROTECTED SPECIES OF GREAT ECOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE. BELONGING TO THE FAMILY OF ERINACEIDAETHEY ARE TERRITORIAL AND INSECTIVOR ANIMALS, KNOWN FOR BEING TRUE GUARDIANS OF THE ECOSYSTEM
The hedgehogs: the “Gardener’s Friends”
The insectivorous diet of ricci, helps control populations of harmful insects, contributing to infestation control and plant health. Hence the nickname gardener’s friends.
The rapid decline of their population is a wake-up call about the health of our planet. These cute creatures, present in various forms for about fifteen million years, are facing a serious threat due to human activities. In Europe, their number has decreased by 70% in just twenty years, while in England, according to estimates since 1970, there has been a drastic reduction in the population: from 30 million they have gone down to less than eight hundred thousand individuals.
As “sprotected species that is part of the wild fauna of the area, which cannot, therefore, nIt is hunt nIt is hold 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”declared that «If we do nothing to stop the decline of this species, hedgehogs will become extinct in 10-20 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. Our duty is 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 lead to temperatures rising by 4-6 degrees this century, causing devastation to the environment we live in. This increase is already visible in seasonal changes and the tapering of winter snowfall. As animals that hibernate during the 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 ill-timed litters, which contributes to the decline of hedgehog populations in many regions.
A documented emergency
To address the drastic decline of the hedgehog population, the Hedgehog Center of Novello (Cuneo) has started a valuable collaboration with the Department of Veterinary Sciences of the University of Turin (DSV). The partnership aims to investigate the causes of hospitalizations and deaths of hedgehogs in order to document the extent of the emergency.
The research, coordinated by the professor Maria Teresa Capucchio, 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 period of hospitalization of at least 10-15 days, as well as the evaluation of any changes in their intestinal microbiota. The hedgehogs hospitalized and those who died at the Non-Conventional Animal Center (CANC) of the DSV and the “La Ninna” Hedgehog Recovery Center will be included in the study.
Alarming data on the health of hedgehogs
The data available so far were 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 at the Center “La Ninna” during 2022. Overall, one hundred and sixty specimens were included in the study.
The results that emerged are in line with the evidence of scientific literature. Trauma, debilitation and infectious diseases, which mainly affect the lungs or gastrointestinal tract, emerge as main causes of hospitalization and death in small mammals.
It is important to underline that the increase in parasitic diseases could be related to climate change and the loss of the natural habitat of hedgehogs, caused by human activity. The lack of traditional prey could push them to feed on animals hosting potentially lethal parasites.
Among parasitic diseases, lungworm infections have frequently been found. However, further studies are needed to fully understand the ecology of these parasites and the pathogenesis of the lesions they cause. At present, extensive histological and microbiological investigations are underway to evaluate the role of infectious agents in hedgehog mortality and in contributing to the decline of their population. These efforts are critical 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 disease of hedgehogs in Piedmont in order to be able to implement adequate prophylactic measures – adds Professor Capucchio -. It is important to work now to prevent these small mammals, essential in the ecosystem, from reaching extinction with very serious consequences for the environment around us. Knowing better the infectious and/or infesting agents possibly conveyed is equally essential to monitor the circulation of biological agents in the environment and the potential risks for other living species from a One Health perspective! It is also very important to evaluate the impact of hospitalization on the intestinal microbiota and on the development of antibiotic resistance to understand how much anthropization can lead to changes/emergence that are potentially harmful to animal health and the balance of the ecosystem”.
Next step
The next step will be the transformation of the Ricci Center “The Ninna” in the first hospital and Research Center totally dedicated to hedgehogs, under the guidance of Veterinary Doctor Massimo Vacchetta.
It is useful to point out that the Ricci Center “The Ninna” welcomes an ever-increasing number of these adorable mammals every year. Among them are those disabled by human activities, such as road accidents or injuries caused by robotic brushcutters and lawnmowers. Other hedgehogs are recovered in critical conditions, often due to the consequences of climate change, such as the inability to hibernate or lack of food due to the massive use of chemicals in agriculture.
How to recognize a hedgehog in difficulty
A hedgehog weighing approximately under 300 grams in October, 400 grams in November and 500 grams in December must be collected and taken to a recovery centre.
A hedgehog found wandering during the day should always be recovered 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, must be taken immediately to a recovery centre, as they require 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 into 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 volume has already aroused interest in its transposition into animated films.
Monge supports the Ricci “La Ninna” Center
For the second consecutive year, Monge, a leading company in the pet-food sector in Italy, has donated a significant quantity of kibble to the “La Ninna” Ricci Center in Novello (Cuneo), which will be used to cover the entire annual requirement of the little ones. patients. The Piedmontese company is also esteemed for its commitment to research cruelty-free and in environmental protection and biodiversity. It stands out, for example, for the support provided to the UCIS (Italian Rescue Dog Units), involved in training dogs for rescue operations in the event of disasters or emergencies. It also supports the Meyer Foundation of Florence, a pediatric hospital that has successfully implemented the Pet Therapy. Therapy aimed at improving the well-being of hospitalized children through interaction with animals.
«Monge’s donation allows us to 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 been started: the construction of the first hospital in Europe dedicated only to this species» concludes Vacchetta.
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