The animal caretakers at Ecomare, the center for the Wadden and North Sea on Texel, were surprised when they recently had seven hedgehogs in the shelter instead of one. An adult animal unexpectedly started giving birth.
Seven tiny hedgehogs were born, one of which died. But the other six are doing fine. They can drink from their mother. She ended up in a shelter because she was stuck in a fence, possibly due to her heavily pregnant belly.
The zookeepers were called to help and had to cut a bar from the fence to free her. To be on the safe side, the hedgehog was taken to the shelter for a check-up, where she provided a surprise.
Although she is in perfect health, she now has to stay because the zookeepers think that releasing them outside would mean a death sentence for the little ones. It’s very late in the year for a hedgehog’s nest, so this chance event may be what saves the young.
At first the little hedgehogs were very vulnerable, but they develop quickly. Their spines have hardened and their eyes are expected to open soon.
The hedgehogs will have to hibernate in a shelter. They will probably be transferred to another shelter in one of the coming months, because Ecomare basically only provides initial shelter for small mammals found on Texel.