A charity quiz night aimed at helping one of Britain’s most threatened mammals will take place next month in aid of South Devon hedgehog rescue charity Prickles in a Pickle.

Teams of up to six people will gather at the Sportsmans Arms on the Dartmouth Road (A3122) on Saturday, June 13, for the fundraising evening, which runs from 6.30pm until 10pm and includes a carvery meal.

Prickles in a Pickle, co-founded by Judy Oliphant and Alan Pook, operates as a volunteer-run hedgehog hospital and wildlife sanctuary, caring for injured and sick hedgehogs before releasing them back into the wild where possible.

The charity currently has around 50 volunteers supporting transport, rehabilitation and animal care, while veterinary and further education students regularly complete placements at the centre.

Young people taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme also assist the charity.

The event comes amid growing concern over Britain’s declining hedgehog population. Conservation groups estimate numbers have fallen sharply in recent decades, with rural populations dropping by as much as 75 per cent since 2000 because of habitat loss, road traffic, pesticides and changes in farming practices.

Hedgehogs are now considered vulnerable to extinction in the UK.

As well as rescuing wildlife, the charity encourages residents to make gardens safer for hedgehogs by creating small “hedgehog highways” in fences, leaving shallow dishes of water out during dry weather and checking carefully before using strimmers or bonfires.

Hedgehogs can travel through up to 10 gardens a night while foraging for food, making connected green spaces vital to their survival.

Tickets for the quiz night can be booked through the charity’s website.