Stichting Wildopvang Someren in Lierop has received more than 700 hedgehogs this year, compared with about 150 in 2022, according to caretaker Nancy Peters. The shelter said many of the animals were underweight and unable to build up enough fat for winter. Natural Monuments was cited as saying that 135,000 hedgehogs are killed in the Netherlands each year.

The shelter attributed the animals’ difficulty finding food partly to drought, which had driven insects deeper into the ground. Volunteers provide food and water, clean enclosures, and weigh the hedgehogs daily. Animals that recover are released, while newly arrived or underweight hedgehogs are monitored and examined for injuries.