00:00I'll give him water and vitamins now so he can regain his strength.
00:07I have to be very careful. His nose is broken. Liquid could get into his windpipe.
00:15For Dr. Mossima Vaquetta, saving injured or sick hedgehogs has become a calling, day in and day out.
00:22The Italian commune of Novello in Piedmont.
00:32At this 300-year-old house, Dr. Mossima Vaquetta founded Italy's only clinic for hedgehogs.
00:39A new patient has just arrived, Orazio.
00:42Where did you find him?
00:47He's slightly hypothermic and severely dehydrated.
00:52I gave him an infusion, cortisone, an anti-inflammatory and something for the shock.
00:58Later he will receive an antibiotic.
01:01If the swelling becomes severe, I'll drain it with a needle.
01:07Then Orazio goes into the incubator. Now all they can do is hope.
01:12The most important thing now is to save his life. He's hovering between life and death.
01:17The Western European hedgehog is on the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
01:27If these natural pest controllers disappear, it will negatively impact both humans and nature.
01:32The presence of hedgehogs indicates a healthy environment.
01:37When they disappear, it means their habitat has been destroyed due to heavy environmental contamination.
01:43Back at the hedgehog clinic, around 200 tiny patients are currently being treated.
01:56Some will be discharged soon, while others have been in the hospital for months and must be gradually re-acclimatized to life in the wild.
02:03Even though that's becoming an increasingly dangerous place for hedgehogs.
02:09Many hedgehogs are killed by cars.
02:12Many are injured by mowers or while gardening.
02:15Some are burned alive when undergrowth or piles of leaves are set on fire.
02:19And pesticides are also a problem.
02:21Some hedgehogs like Agamemnon will remain at La Nina permanently.
02:28After a back injury, he's no longer able to curl up.
02:32Dr. Mossimo conducts regular ultrasounds.
02:36The injury has left a scar that prevents him from rolling up into a ball.
02:40That's why he can't survive in the wild.
02:42When I hold him, it gives him a sense of protection, almost fatherly.
02:47They seem very robust, but they're quite fragile.
02:51Another emergency.
02:53Once again, it's a matter of life or death.
02:56He has a lot of parasites in his lungs and intestines.
02:59In the fall, hedgehogs can hardly find any insects, so they eat snails and other creatures that live in the soil.
03:05And they're the ones that transmit these serious parasitic diseases.
03:08This little hedgehog died the same night.
03:14Unlike Orazio, who has made a wonderful recovery.
03:18Dr. Massimo's hedgehog clinic is supported by donors from across Italy
03:22who recognize the importance of these small conservationists.
03:28By helping hedgehogs, I make a small attempt to compensate for the injustice in this world.
03:33Here in northern Italy's Novello, these hedgehogs have a patron saint fighting for their lives, day and night.
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