Rosyth hedgehog hospital saves babies found near Kingsgate Centre

The 'Kingsgate five' were discovered at the side of the shopping centre on Carnegie Drive in a distressed state.

Nadia Al-Dujaili, who runs the Forth Hedgehog Hospital from her Rosyth home, raced to find the little hogs after she had been contacted by a member of the public who had discovered them on the nearby pavement.

The first ones she found were "pretty near death" and she admitted she had feared the worst.

"I got a taxi and luckily the taxi firm in Rosyth, Rosyth Taxis, know me. The driver was very good and helpful and he slowed down with hazards on driving along the road," she explained.

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"I had my torch and gloves and a kit with a heat mat because I knew they would be cold. Three of them were in a jumper the person had covered them with.

"They were dripping wet as it was raining really badly. They were soaking wet and freezing cold. They were pretty near death to be honest. I always give them a go and I always try my best.

"Even if I feel in my heart that they are not going to make it. You never know because some do pull through."

Having found three of a litter of five and safely placed them in a heated box, she continued to find their siblings.

"I was searching in all those bushes alongside the Kingsgate Centre then I found the nest. There was a hole going in to a bramble bush. Luckily the other two had crawled back into the nest. They were nice and warm because they had crawled back in."

"I think something has happened to the mum. They would not have left the nest without her. They would have left because they were away looking for her. They were all squeaking – they make a high pitch squealing noise when they are distressed."

Having got the hedgehogs, which she believes were about 10 days old at the time of their rescue, she brought them back to her Middlebank Street home and started to treat them.

"They all needed injections of warmed up fluid like a drip. Some were pretty rocky. I didn't think they would survive but they are all still alive," she said.

The Kingsgate Five hedgehogs recovering at the Forth Hedgehog Hospital. (Image: Contributed)

"I will keep looking after them. They are all about 100 grammes and they need to be 650g/700g before they are released so I will have them another two to three months."

At the moment, Nadia's hedgehog hospital as 12 patients in intensive care – including the Kingsgate 5 – with a total of 56 hedgehogs currently under her watchful eye.

As always, she is grateful for any donations of equipment or food, or donations so she can buy them, and more information on how to do this can be found on the Forth Hedgehog Hospital Facebook page.