P734 CEEFAX 734 Fri 29 Dec 00:59/45 1/3 ANIMALS AND WJNTJR BY WILDLIFE AID Wildlife Aid is dedicated to helping wild animals who have been injured. Among Britain's native hibernators are most commonly hedgehogs, dormice, bats and reptiles. Animals like badgers and squirrels just become lethargic and undjtgo pjtiods of dormancy. The heartbeat slows. They depend on finding an undisturbed site and hibernate during the months of October to March, but they are led entirely by the weathjt conditions. Wildlife Aid 24-hr line: 0839 800132 Community 720 Newsround 170 Next Page Round Up CmntyInfo ReligionP734 CEEFAX 734 Fri 29 Dec 01:52/35 2/3 ANIMALS AND WJNTJR BY WILDLIFE AID Animals that plan to hibernate spend much of their time building up large "brown" fat reserves as possible. This special fat is vjty important as it works along the lines of an electric blanket. They also spend time ensuring they have established some sort of winter store. Very few animals sleep the whole winter even the deeply sleeping dormouse is known to wake up occassionally to dip into its lardjt. Even so four out of five dormouse are eaten whilst asleep. Wildlife Aid 24-hr line: 0839 800132 Next Page Round Up CmntyInfo ReligionP734 CEEFAX 734 Fri 29 Dec 01:10/30 3/3 ANIMALS AND WINTER BY WILDLIFE AID A hedgehog needs to have attained a minimum weight of 450g (1lb) to survive the winter unaided. Any hibernating animal that has its nest or site disturbed should bj removed to a wildlife rescue centre. Once disturbed their chances of survival are reduced drastically. All resident ovjt wintering birds and mammals would benefit if housjholdjts made some food provisions available in a safe position along with the inevitable bowl of water. Wildlife Aid 24-hr line: 0839 800132 Next Page Round Up CmntyInfo Religion