I’ve got TWO hedgehogs!!
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Sonic first appeared last year during lockdown, probably late-April/early-May while I was out with my telescope – I heard footsteps in my neighbour’s grass and honestly thought someone was going to vault over the fence, when a dark shape suddenly appeared on the lawn! We’ve lived here 9 years and it was the first time we’ve seen one (although we’ve had foxes living at the end of the garden before). We didn’t see him/her again until we came back from a short break in late August and having let the dog out on the garden while we unpacked the car, found her sniffing and pawing at it. Fast forward to this Spring and I bought a hedgehog house, and not long after finally deciding where to place it, a guest appeared! Not bothered by the dog or by me taking photos of it- this time at least the dog was keeping a watchful eye on it and not trying to play football with it! Hubby bought me a wildlife camera for my birthday and after putting it in different places I’ve established Sonic is using the hedgehog house, and about 6 different cats are enjoying sharing the food 😂 THEN on further inspection of the footage, I spotted what I thought were markings on its bum and not for the first time. Does pollen glow in the dark, I wondered. I enquired in my gardening group on Facebook and someone suggested that ‘Mark’ could’ve been rescued and released at some point as rescue centres tend to mark their patients to keep track? I had a look and there aren’t any rescue centres near where we live but we’re half a mile from a park and 34-hectare bluebell wood, so I guess possible it could’ve been released nearby. All that to say I’m absolutely thrilled I’ve got 2 prickly visitors after all this time 😀
Hi Shazbat
Brilliant news about the hogs!
Sadly some people artificially mark the hogs (not only rescue centres) so that could be what the marking is. It is possible to identify hedgehogs from their natural markings, so artificial marking is not necessary or desirable. They are wild animals and my feeling is we should only interfere with them if it is for the benefit of that hedgehog or hedgehogs as a whole.
Six cats! – that’s a lot of other people’s cats to be feeding! I hope the hedgehogs get there first! Don’t forget to leave water out for the hogs as well – all day every day. It can be difficult for them to find water and they do like a drink of water! Wide but shallow plant saucers are ideal. Anything too small and hogs are very good at tipping them over! But they need to be shallow enough that a hoglet couldn’t get caught in them.
Good luck with the hogs and happy hog watching.
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