CASTLE Howard has teamed up with a charity to try to help a small British mammal which is in dramatic decline.

Working with Hoggies Respite, the stately home is providing a safe release site for rehabilitated hedgehogs.

Hedgehog numbers have declined dramatically over the last 10 years. With fewer than one million thought to be left in the UK, these charismatic wild animals are fast disappearing from the countryside.

Now in its fifth year, Hoggies Respite and its volunteers work round the clock to care for injured and orphaned hedgehogs.

Maggie Farmer, one of the founders of Hoggies Respite, said: “Every hedgehog needs a home and with acre upon acre of hedgerows, woodland and parkland, Castle Howard is the perfect release site for rehabilitated hogs.”

Hedgehogs to be released at Castle Howard include Mama Mama, a strong mother with six hoglets.

James Holliday, estate manager, said: “We are thrilled to be part of the excellent work done by the team at Hoggies Respite. Our natural landscape and the wildlife that live here are just as important as the historic buildings in our care and they too need conserving.”