WAKE-UP time!

Lots of animals are coming out of hibernation right now. Here’s how you can help them thrive

- HATTI MELLOR

Spring is just around the corner and, as your thoughts turn to getting outdoors and into the garden, spare a thought for hibernating animals.

Hedgehogs, dormice, bats, frogs, newts and toads, butterflies, slow worms and snakes all hibernate in the UK from October to April. And, while animals such as foxes, badgers and birds do not, there’s still plenty you can do to help them as the weather turns warmer. March is a vital time for animals, according to the RSPCA, as many are starting the breeding process ahead of the late spring and summer arrival of babies and young animals.

Supporting animals like hedgehogs, whose numbers are dwindling, can really make a difference.