A helping hand for some prickly little characters

But they have not lost their homes through flooding.

Marianne runs The Crystal Sanctuary, a rescue centre for hedgehogs. She takes in prickly guests who are sick, injured or who - due to the unseasonal weather caused by climate change - have been born late in the year and are too small to survive the winter.

She greets me at the door, a friendly cat rubbing round her ankles. "It's relatively quiet at this time of year," she says. "Although we are getting more and more babies, who have been born late due to the warmer weather."

With its pine trees, bushes and pond, her back garden is a wildlife haven - with birds twittering, rabbits hopping and guinea pigs snuffling.

But hedgehogs are the reason for the sanctuary's existence. The day I went along, it was home to 53 of the spiky creatures, including 17 babies. Like Marianne, I love hedgehogs, so for me it was like entering "hedgehog heaven".

But, I could see from the moment I arrived that while it is rewarding, caring for so many needy, creatures is hard work.

Across the country, the unseasonably warm weather throughout October and November has caused hedgehog litters to be born later than normal. Babies found scurrying about in the cold have been brought to the sanctuary where Marianne pulls out all the stops to keep them warm, day and well-fed throughout winter.

Adult hedgehogs, too, are being confused by the milder winters and are not hibernating soon enough. They struggle to find sufficient supplies of food, and fall prey to frosts and cold weather.

I'd gone to help out - Marianne welcomes volunteers, who include students wishing to learn about animal husbandry.

I follow her into a cosy shelter, where hedgehogs are housed in warm, roomy hutches. When the weather permits, and when hibernation ends, the creatures are transferred to a spacious run.

She lifts one of the babies out of his shredded paper nest and I held him in readiness for one of his regular feeds. The size of a paperback book, he felt light, and it was clear that he would not last long were he out in the wild.

"Babies are being born later because of the changes in the seasons," says Marianne. "One female has just had babies. A few years ago the cut-off point was September/October, but now it is November/December. So far this year I have looked after 173 hedgehogs."

The smaller the animal, the more labour intensive the work. Says Marianne: "When they are little it is really hard work - they need feeding every couple of hours. Like human babies, as they put on weight you can gradually whittle down their feeds."

A lifelong animal lover, the former postwoman gave up her job to channel all her energy into caring for hedgehogs.

"From being a child I have always taken in abandoned animals and looked after those that were sick. I was always looking after kittens and rabbits."

Five years ago she shared her garden with ten rabbits and eight guinea pigs, but when someone dropped off a baby hedgehog things changed.

"A woman found it and said she didn't know what to do with it. I had no idea what to do either. It was very weak and sadly it died."

That prompted Marianne to find out more about hedgehogs - and set her on the road to what would become her passion. "I'm fascinated by them. The more you get to know them, the more you like them - they all have distinct personalities. The babies can be mischievous. Some are into everything, while others are shy."

The little chap I was holding - called Pumpkin (Marianne names them all) - undoubtedly belonged in the first camp. He made his way on to my shoulder and rooted around beneath my hair.

You'd think the spines would have posed a problem, but, Marianne told me, once a hedgehog trusts you, they lay their spines flat when they are being handled. "They don't particularly like being handled unless they are being helped."

She handed me a small bottle with a feeding nozzle, through which I gave the baby some milk. "He's a messy drinker," I couldn't help comment as the milk dribbled down the sides of his mouth. "They are the messiest little animals in the world," says Marianne.

I then helped prepare meals, mashing dog food up into small pieces with a fork.

Hedgehogs are also brought to the sanctuary - so called after the healing powers of crystals - with injuries, the result of cars, attacks by other animals or maltreatment by youths. "I had one brought to me recently that had been used as a football."

Sometimes, people will call because they have seen a hedgehog in their garden and don't like it. "They ask me to take it away," says Marianne, shaking her head in disbelief.

An intensive care shed contains heat pads, towels, blankets and soft toys.

The adult hedgehogs enjoy a varied diet including cat and dog food, digestive biscuits, mealworms, eggs, mincemeat and chicken. Marianne relies on donations for these items. "This cost £14.50," she says, holding a tub of mealworm. A special powdered milk, Esbilac, for the babies, costs £38 a tin. "It is for puppies, but it is the nearest thing to hedgehog milk," she says.

I'd taken a dozen eggs, but wished I'd taken more. The day I visited, Marianne had received a generous donation of food from the Ilkley-based West Yorkshire Animals in Need. "They help with food, cages, cost and all sorts of things," she says.

Hedgehogs can live to around eight years old, although the average life expectancy in the wild is between three and four.

Once the adult hedgehogs in Marianne's care are healthy, have reached a good weight and have spent a time in the run foraging for food, they will be returned to the wild.

"When spring arrives, they are released into private gardens. I have a network of about 25 dotted around, in places including Haworth, Oxenhope and Laycock. I release two each year in every garden."

Prior to release, the areas are checked for natural hazards such as open grates, ponds and badger sets.

Marianne also gives talks at schools across the district, in which she allows the children to see one of her charges close up. "I've done 44 this year." The fee helps pay bills and schools "give huge amounts in donations."

Help from volunteers is most welcome, particularly in summer. I didn't feel I'd helped much at all, and wished I lived next door to Marianne so I could really make a difference.

• Crystal Sanctuary can be contacted on (01535) 674672 or mlcrowley@blueyonder.co.uk The sanctuary welcomes donations of food and funds.

Hedgehog Facts

• In August hedgehogs joined the list of species which need greater protection under the UK's Biodiversity Action Plan.

• Hedgehogs are nocturnal. They sleep during the day and are active during the night.

• Hedgehogs generally hibernate between November and March.

• Male hedgehogs can have up to 500 spines on their backs.

• The gestation period is 34 to 38 days and females give birth to between four and six babies called hoglets.

• Hedgehogs have a very good sense of smell and hearing.

• Hedgehogs make sounds ranging from sneezing to snorting and clicking. They squeal when they are frightened and when something interests them or they are happy they make a purring sound.

• The hedgehog is an omnivore, meaning it eats both plants and animals.

• They have very long tongues which they use to spread saliva over their spines. They salivate when they smell something pleasant.