Dozens of sick hedgehogs with mysterious inflammations Inland

This is reported by Omroep Brabant. “It is suddenly a striking number of hedgehogs that have come in here lately,” owner Charles Brosens of the Bird Shelter in Zundert told Omroep Brabant. “We also see inflammation in the throat that we have never seen before.”

The reception thinks of an illness. The animals are now being examined in the Dutch Wildlife Health Center at Utrecht University. Eighty percent of sick hedgehogs are not expected to survive.

“We have never seen this form of disease before,” says Jenny Kleve of Hedgehog Protection Netherlands. “We notice that it only occurs in West Brabant and in Belgium, north of Antwerp.”

A bacterial infection is currently being considered. Ranger Erik de Jonge does not rule out that it has to do with poison against oak processionary caterpillars. “When the caterpillars are sprayed, they fall from the tree and are eaten by the hedgehogs.” Great tits would also die more often. “They are in the same food group.”

‘Scatter’

Part of the Hedgehogs in Zundert is taken to a specialist shelter in Papendrecht. “It is so busy here now with young birds, while that specialized hedgehog shelter is not busy at all. Just say a kind of patient distribution ”, Brosens laughs.

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