The RSPCA could face another ‘hectic hedgehog’ month after calls about the animal peaked in the East of England this time last year.

Over 1500 calls were made about the prickly creatures in 2018, 246 of which were made throughout July.

Throughout 2018 10,644 calls about hedgehogs were made to the RSPCA nationally, with the number of calls spiking in July at 1867.

An average of 5.7 hedgehogs per day were admitted to one of the charity’s four specialist wildlife centres in 2018, but this rose to an average of 12.4 per day (one every two hours) in July.

RSPCA wildlife scientific officer Evie Button said: “We receive more calls about hedgehogs than about almost any other wild animal.

“July is our busiest month for hedgehogs. Not only do calls about hedgehogs peak, but so do admissions to our four wildlife centres as members of the public and our own officers bring in orphaned, sick or injured animals for treatment and rehabilitation.”

Some of the reasons given by callers for contacting the animal charity about a hedgehog were that they had found one either sick or injured, orphaned, or was trapped or entangled.

Ms Button urged people to make sure their garden was safe for hedgehogs and to avoid using slug pellets, which can be poisonous for the animal.

She added: “During the summer months, only intervene straight away if you find a baby hedgehog in immediate danger (such as on a road) and the mother has been killed or if their eyes are closed and they are alone.”