Causes of admission and final dispositions of hedgehogs admitted to three Wildlife Rehabilitation Centers in eastern Spain

We studied hedgehog admissions to the three Wildlife Rehabilitation Centers of the Valencian Community (eastern Spain) over a five years period (2009-2013). A total of 490 hedgehogs were admitted: 84% corresponded to Western European hedgehogs and 16% to Algerian hedgehogs. A bimodal distribution of the admissions was observed along the year, with highest number of admissions during summer and a much smaller peak on winter, largely due to the arrival of young hedgehogs. Main reasons for admission were casual encounters (41%) and orphaned young (19%). In total, 69% of the individuals that arrive alive to the centers could be released successfully to the wild, with better recovery indices for animals accidentally found, previously held in captivity and orphaned young; and worst indices for parasitized hedgehogs, affected by infections and by road casualties. Finally, involving the general public in the rehabilitation process (e.g., returning animals to the wild, collaborating with "soft-releases") proved to be very productive, for both environmental awareness purposes and for the rehabilitated animals.