23/05/2026
I WASN’T SLEEPING IN THE SUN.
THE FLIES HAD FOUND ME BEFORE HELP DID.**
You may see me in the daylight and think I am resting.
A hedgehog curled in the grass.
Still.
Quiet.
Not running.
Not hiding.
Not doing what a night animal should do.
And the first thought may be gentle.
He is tired.
He is sunbathing.
He looks peaceful.
Maybe he is just old.
But a hedgehog lying out in the open during the day is rarely a peaceful thing.
Sometimes, it means something has already gone wrong.
I may be weak.
Cold.
Injured.
Dehydrated.
Too exhausted to find cover.
And when I cannot move properly, the flies come.
They do not wait for death.
They land on wounds, on eyes, on ears, around the mouth, in damp fur, between spines. They lay tiny pale eggs that many people mistake for dirt or dust.
But those eggs can hatch into maggots.
And then the suffering becomes urgent.
This is called flystrike.
It can happen fast, especially in warm weather. A small weakness becomes a crisis because my body can no longer defend itself from what finds me.
That is what makes the scene so heartbreaking.
You may think you found a quiet hedgehog.
But you may have found a night animal who has already lost the strength to protect himself.
So if you see a hedgehog out in the day, especially one lying still, covered in flies, with pale eggs on the body, or unable to walk normally, please act quickly.
Do not leave me “to see if I move later.”
Do not pour water over me.
Do not try to pull everything off without advice.
Do not leave me exposed.
Use gloves or a towel.
Place me in a high-sided box.
Keep me warm, dark and quiet.
Call a hedgehog rescue or wildlife vet immediately.
Because I wasn’t sleeping in the sun.
I was a small night animal lying still while the flies began to write an emergency on my body.
