Think one of my hedgehogs may have been trapped in neighbours garden
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Hi there,
Since about early 2017 I’ve had hedgehogs in the garden every night, started off with 2, then 3, then I was back with 2 and for the last month or so there was just the one that continued to visit, since they first appeared back in 2017 they’ve been using next doors garden to sleep during the day, earlier this year I did by a hedgehog house and it was in use some nights so I brought another one but most of the time the hedgehog(s) preferred to sleep in the next doors garden.
Last weekend the 1st September was the last time I think I saw him in the garden, I kept putting food and water out anyway & still continue to do so, I figured maybe the last one had decided to wander off to find a mate or something but then on thursday evening for some reason I decided to check the hole under the fence (the hole under their fence is behind our shed with only the very edge of the hole visible so unless I go to check I wouldn’t notice anything wrong) only to discover the guy had blocked the hole up, I believe out of spite because we had a falling out with him which I wont go into details here but needless to say I used the end of a broom handle to dislodge what he had used to block the hole up and it’s been clear every night since, I’ve been checking and in fact stayed up til the early hours of Friday morning hoping & praying that I would see him but I didn’t & I haven’t since him/her since & the food I put out ins’t being touched.
I was absolutely distraught when I discovered the hole was blocked, I couldn’t believe even he could be so vicious & cruel as to block the hole up knowing that was the only way in & out of his garden for the hedgehog, on Friday I waited til I saw him go out and then went knocked on the door and his step son let me in to have a look in the garden to see if I could see the hedgehog, I checked under all the hedging, the only other place he could be is underneath the shed but the side I could check under with a powerful lenser led light was blocked and I couldn’t access the other three sides to check, there was about enough of room for hedgehogs to access but not a person.
I’ve hardly slept since thursday with worry as I’m petrified that the poor hedgehog was indeed stuck in his garden with no escape for 3 nights until I saw what he’d done, I am kicking myself that I didn’t discover the blocked hole sooner but I didn’t think for a second that he would be like that! please tell me a hedgehog could survive for 3 nights without much if any food or water as if the answer to that is no then I think the poor thing died in his garden & if I could prove that I would be straight on the phone to the rscpa & the police & get his charged with animal cruelty. Not to mention what would that do to the poor animal mentally, discovering that he/she is trapped with no escape, that’s just one reason why I wanted access to his garden as I was thinking the hedgehog might of been in poor shape going without food or water for 3 nights.
I’ve searched on google about how long hedgehogs can go without food or water, some say just a few days, I found one website where it states in a controlled environment they went 10 weeks without food or water, not sure I believe that myself but I’m hoping & praying that he couldn’t have gone 3 nights without much if any.
Of course the other possibility is that he/she chose last weekend to wonder off, I know from searching on google & reading some of the threads on this forum that it’s not uncommon for hedgehogs to disappear but it’s the now knowing whether he was trapped in his garden or not that’s playing on my mind but either way I’m very saddened to be without any hedgehogs in the garden after seeing them without fail every night for the last few years.
Sorry hear your sad tale. It’s a shame your neighbour isn’t hog friendly.
I wouldn’t worry too much, because a hog could redig the hole under the fence itself if it was desperate. Also, in most gardens there would be wild food for it to eat – beetles, earthworms, etc. What we feed is meant to only be supplementary to what they can find for themselves. But also if the hog chose to go into that garden, there must have been something hog friendly about it, even if it was by chance. There are all sorts of other reasons why a hog might disappear. Especially at this time of year, when many people seem to have ‘missing’ hogs.
I take it that you are reasonably friendly with the stepson, so maybe you could ask him to keep an eye out for any hedgehogs and let you know, just in case.
Hi, yep I asked the stepson to keep an eye out but they’re both moving out in a few weeks, to be honest I’ll be glad to see the back of him (not the stepson, he’s a nice chap & hedgehog friendly) , hopefully a hedgehog friendly person moves in.
Hoping to see hedgehogs return to the garden in the future, loved seeing them, not to mention there so cute lol
Fingers crossed for some nice friendly and hedgehog friendly new neighbours!
Good luck. I hope it all turns out well.
Hey Smartie72
So sorry to hear what an awful time of it you’ve had, I found your post very distressing to read. Thank goodness your insensitive, petty minded neighbour is moving out !
Here’s hoping your spikey little friend returns and your new neighbours share the passion for hogs!
Best Wishes xMaybe, just maybe, if he is due to move out soon he may have been making good any defects in the property/garden.
Hi Oxonspike,
I can say with a 100% certainty he blocked the hole on purpose, he’s not interested in sorting out any defects in the garden, he just rested a piece of wood up against the fence right where the hole was, blocking it as a result!
Still not seen any hogs in the garden since & I’m gutted still putting food & water out just in case any return.
Hi Paul,
If you have another area you can make a small hole under the fence it’s worth a try. Maybe Mr Nasty won’t spot it!
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