The Flemish Wildlife Care Centres have taken in 38,063 wild animals over the past year, with hedgehogs remaining the most commonly admitted animals for the second consecutive year.
"The animal most frequently brought in during 2024 was again the hedgehog," stated Bram Renmans, the coordinator for the care centres at Bird Protection Flanders, in a press release on Thursday. "A total of 8,347 hedgehogs were admitted across various centres last year," he said, referencing data collected by Bird Protection Flanders.
Following hedgehogs, the wood pigeon had 5,693 cases, making it the second most common animal, followed by the blackbird (1,852), the Eurasian collared dove (1,456), and the jackdaw (1,374).
Other frequently admitted wild animals include the house sparrow, the great tit, the herring gull, the wild duck, and the magpie. Although hedgehogs are the most common, mammals only account for 12,071 cases or 31.7% of admissions. Birds make up the majority with 25,728 of the 38,063 admissions, or 67.6%.
More than a quarter of the animals brought to the centres are young animals that have fallen from their nests or lost their parents (26%). Additionally, 15.5% are weakened animals, 10.5% are injured or have fractures, and 6% of the cases involve sick animals.
In 6% of the cases, a cat was involved in the reason for the animal being admitted. Other common causes include traffic (5.6%), building windows (4.7%), and dogs (1%), according to Bird Protection Flanders.
