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Found a hedgehog? Mon–Fri 10:00–12:00 / 13:00–16:00 · 056 552 16 02
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Hedgehog help in Appenzell

On this page you will find regional information for Appenzell Ausserrhoden and Appenzell Innerrhoden: contact points for hedgehogs in distress, the responsible authorities and practical recommendations for a hedgehog-friendly habitat.

In Appenzell, too, the hedgehog is coming under increasing pressure. Closed-off property boundaries, sealed surfaces, intensive garden maintenance, pesticides, road traffic and robotic lawnmowers used at night make survival harder for it.

Important: This page provides information about hedgehog protection in both Appenzell cantons. It is not a separate section or regional office of Hedgehog Help Switzerland.

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A hedgehog in tall grass

Found a hedgehog – what should you do now?

Not every hedgehog needs human help. A healthy hedgehog is mainly active at dusk and at night. If you see a hedgehog during the day, this does not automatically mean that it is sick.

Action is needed in particular if the hedgehog:

  • is injured or bleeding
  • seems apathetic or does not roll up
  • staggers, walks in circles, wheezes or breathes heavily
  • is infested with flies, fly eggs or maggots
  • is noticeably thin or weak
  • lies unprotected in the sun for a long time
  • is a young hedgehog found obviously without its mother

  1. If possible, contact a hedgehog station before transporting the animal. The station can assess whether the hedgehog needs to be taken in and whether a care place is currently available.

    Hedgehog stations

  2. Until the handover, wearing gloves, you can place the hedgehog in a sufficiently high cardboard box. Line it with newspaper and a towel and put the box in a quiet place. Offer fresh water in a shallow dish. Never give the hedgehog cow’s milk and do not treat it yourself with medication or anti-parasite products.

Hedgehog stations and contact points in Appenzell

Admission capacities and availability can change at short notice. Please register every hedgehog by phone or via the contact form provided before bringing it to a station.

  • Igelstation Heiden

    Igelstation Heiden opened in 2023 and holds a cantonal permit. Since January 2026 it has been run as an independent association. It takes in hedgehogs in need and offers advice on found hedgehogs and on protecting the animals.

    Please register every hedgehog by phone before transporting it. The care places available may be limited depending on the season and occupancy.

  • Igelpflegestation Walter Zoo, Gossau

    For finders from the western part of Appenzell, the nearby hedgehog care station at Walter Zoo in Gossau can also be an important contact point. According to its own figures, the station looks after around 300 hedgehogs a year.

    Please register every hedgehog by phone before transporting it. The care places available may be limited depending on the season and occupancy.

If the hedgehog station cannot be reached:

  • Tierärztlicher Notfalldienst Appenzell071 787 18 19If no hedgehog station can be reached and the animal is obviously seriously injured, contact a veterinary practice or the regional veterinary emergency service.
  • Hedgehog Help Switzerland056 552 16 02Monday to Friday, 10:00–12:00 and 13:00–16:00igelstation@igel-hilfe.ch
  • Pro Igel Helpline0800 070 080Daily from 16:00–20:00Pro Igel – Igel in Not
  • TierRettungsDienst0800 211 22224-hour emergency line
  • Police117For a seriously injured wild animal on a road, after a collision or if there is an acute danger to traffic

Emergency numbers that charge a fee may incur higher call charges. For a seriously injured hedgehog, you can also contact a veterinary practice or animal clinic. Before setting off, call to ask whether they treat hedgehogs or wild animals.

Note on this regional information page · As of: August 2026

This page brings together information and contact points for hedgehog protection in the canton of Appenzell. It is not an additional hedgehog station or a cantonal authority.

The hedgehog stations and animal welfare organisations listed are independent or privately run services. Responsibilities, availability and admission capacities can change at short notice. Please therefore always get in touch by phone first.

Cantonal contact points

The veterinary office is the right cantonal authority in particular for questions of animal welfare law, reports of problematic animal keeping or questions about care stations requiring a permit.

  • Veterinäramt beider Appenzell

    The veterinary office in Herisau carries out its duties for both Appenzell Ausserrhoden and Appenzell Innerrhoden. Among other things, it is responsible for enforcing animal welfare legislation and for licensing and inspecting wild animal enclosures and hedgehog stations.

    For urgent help with a found hedgehog, however, you should first contact a hedgehog station or a veterinary practice. The veterinary office points out that the hunting and nature conservation authorities are generally responsible for wild animals living in the wild.

  • Natur und Wildtiere Appenzell Ausserrhoden

    For general questions about wild animals living in the wild in Appenzell Ausserrhoden, the Abteilung Natur und Wildtiere is responsible.

Hedgehog sightings in Appenzell

Sightings can be recorded on the Wilde Nachbarn platform.

  • Such reports help to:

    • document the distribution of hedgehogs
    • identify gaps in their occurrence
    • locate possible danger spots
    • select future study areas
    • observe changes over several years

  • If possible, note down:

    • the date and time
    • the exact location of the sighting
    • the condition of the hedgehog
    • any particular dangers at the site
    • if possible, a photo taken from a safe distance

A sighting report is no substitute for emergency help. If a hedgehog is injured or weakened, a hedgehog station must also be contacted.

Hedgehog habitat in Appenzell

The two Appenzell cantons are characterised by hilly landscapes, scattered settlements, farmland and comparatively many green spaces. Even so, the hedgehog does not automatically find a suitable habitat everywhere.

Interconnected residential areas are particularly valuable when they have:

  • native hedges and shrubs
  • brush, deadwood and leaf piles
  • compost areas and patches of open ground
  • extensively managed meadow edges
  • natural gardens without pesticides
  • passages between neighbouring properties
  • safe hiding places for the day and for hibernation

Large, intensively used meadows and pastures, on the other hand, often offer hedgehogs little cover. Fences, walls and busy roads can further separate suitable habitats from one another.

Hilly Appenzell landscape with meadows, patches of woodland and scattered farms
A hedgehog in the grass

How many hedgehogs live in Appenzell?

There is currently no reliable canton-wide population count for Appenzell Ausserrhoden and Appenzell Innerrhoden. A specific number of hedgehogs living there therefore cannot be given in good faith.

Hedgehogs live hidden lives, are mainly active at night and can only be recorded systematically with considerable effort. Sighting reports show where hedgehogs have been observed, but do not allow the population to be calculated directly.

Studies from other Swiss residential areas show that local hedgehog populations can decline significantly. In the city of Zurich, for example, a decline of around 40 per cent was found within 25 years. This figure cannot be transferred directly to Appenzell, but it shows why preserving suitable habitats is important.

If you see a hedgehog, you can report the sighting to the regional citizen science project Wilde Nachbarn Appenzellerland. Such sightings help to document the animals’ distribution better over the long term.

Naturally designed area with deadwood, stones and shrubs

What you can do for hedgehogs in Appenzell

Even small changes in the garden or on company and municipal grounds can make a big difference:

  • Leave leaves under hedges and shrubs.
  • Create piles of branches, brushwood or deadwood.
  • Do not use pesticides or toxic slug pellets.
  • Create gaps of around 13 × 13 centimetres in fences.
  • Cover light wells, cellar steps, pools and other traps.
  • Check tall grass and leaf piles before mowing.
  • Only use robotic lawnmowers during the day and under supervision.
  • Leave areas with wild plants and longer grass.
  • In dry weather, put out a shallow dish of fresh water.
  • Do not give milk: hedgehogs cannot tolerate cow’s milk.

Not only hedgehogs benefit from this, but also insects, amphibians, birds and many other native animal species.

Natural green space with branches, boulders and young shrubs next to a company building, with a village in the background

Protecting habitats in Appenzell together

Hedgehog protection works across property and municipal boundaries. A single natural garden is valuable. Even more helpful is a whole neighbourhood with permeable fences, native plants, safe water points and interconnected green spaces.

Private individuals, municipalities, schools, companies and farming, horticultural and property businesses can help to preserve safe routes and refuges.

In new developments and redesigns, not only individual green spaces but also their connection with neighbouring habitats should be taken into account. Permeable property boundaries, unsealed surfaces and native planting help not only hedgehogs but also amphibians, insects, birds and other native animal species.

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We are also available by phone and are happy to help you with advice and practical support.

Whether you are looking for our hedgehog magazine full of helpful tips, information about hedgehog talks or materials for school projects – we provide everything free of charge to promote the welfare of hedgehogs.

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Expert knowledge on the care and treatment of hedgehogs

Free hedgehog courses for veterinary practice assistants throughout Switzerland

Hedgehog Help Switzerland offers free hedgehog courses for veterinary practice assistants throughout Switzerland. These courses are specially tailored to veterinary practice assistants who want to familiarise themselves with the particularities of hedgehog care and acquire professional knowledge of the medical treatment and care of hedgehogs. In veterinary practices, hedgehogs need special attention and expert care that differs from other wild animals – and this is exactly where our hedgehog courses for veterinary practice assistants come in.

In our courses you will learn everything about caring for and treating hedgehogs in a way that suits the species. We cover important topics such as correct feeding, stress management during treatment and recognising typical hedgehog diseases. Our hedgehog courses are offered both at our hedgehog station and directly at your veterinary practice – we work throughout Switzerland and adapt to your location and your schedule.

Registration form for hedgehog courses

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