Hi Hoglips
So sorry to hear your hog visitors have been marked. It can be quite distressing when you have got to know a hog well and someone does that to it. Why anyone thinks they have the right to do that to something that does not belong to them is beyond me. The current guidelines from BHPS https://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/faq/
say:
[“Can I ‘mark’ my hedgehogs?
We’re pretty sure a hedgehog would rather not be marked, but if you are going to do it, please do ensure that you use a non-toxic water-based marker and mark just a few spines of the hedgehog. Keep the mark away from the hedgehog’s face and mark it in the garden on the ground rather than picking it up/bringing it indoors. Please don’t use red as people may mistake it for blood and ‘rescue’ it. Do not make hedgehog conspicuous to predators. We have seen some very sad images of poor hedgehogs practically covered in paint! If you are watching the hedgehogs on a wildlife camera you will often be ale to tell them apart over time without the need for marking.”]
Personally, I see no need to mark at all, but if only people would stick to the ‘just a few spines’ it wouldn’t be quite so bad. Even if not as bad as some, the mark on the hog in your picture is definitely more than a few spines.
