Another Hedgehog Death
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SO sad to have yet another dead hedgehog (I have reported on the garden wildlife site.)
This is the 2nd one within a week, 3rd this month. Found on the verge outside my back garden, within a foot of the hole to the sanctuary of my garden.
Have been away for a long weekend, but have noticed lately a lack of hogs in my garden.
Can’t afford a hedgecam, but no hedgehogs seen, no poo, no snufflings and no clattering of food dishes in the night.
I am devastated by the loss of these three precious lives. The first I think was a natural death (a wee hog in it’s house that couldn’t survive hibernation) but I rather suspect the evil hand of man in the others. Fences blocked, minds blocked – I hope it was no more than that,Apologies – I have no proof of wrong doing with the two dead hedgehogs. I was just so upset and two deaths within a few days of each other, the hedgehogs both in exactly the same place 🙁
Hi Celeste
Really sad to hear about the poor hogs and yes, you’re right – the hog holes are so important. Apart from anything else they provide hogs with more habitat without having to cross roads so much – which may have been the cause.
Another really important thing is if everyone leaves water available in their gardens, even if they don’t want to feed the hogs. In dry spells, the hogs may be able to find some food, but maybe not find water so easily.
Numbers of hogs visiting do fluctuate from time to time for various reasons, not all for sad reasons. We just have to hope that the majority of hogs manage to stay out of danger.
Keep up the good work with those still visiting.
Thank you as ever Nic for your caring reply.
Have recently changed the feeding station to a more open design of bricks with an acrylic roof, hopefully to provide a less stressfree enviroment for the hedgehogs. Food was being eaten so I believed hogs still coming through. Discovered a magpie and a crow have been scoffing the grub early morning!
🙁 This combined with the complete lack of hedgehog activity in the garden plus the two dead hogs really knocked me back.
Your advice re: fresh water is very valid. Needed for both birds and hedgehogs.
Changed the feeding station back to the plastic crate with hedgehog size hole couple of nights ago – happy to report one hedgehog seen in the early hours 🙂Hi Celeste
Yes, we all get to attached to ‘our’ hogs that it can be as bad as losing a pet when one dies. I still feel sad about a poor hog here, who turned up with a horrible strimmer injury and had to euthanased. A beautiful hog who I had known since he was a hoglet. And that was years ago, now. There have been others, but mention a strimmer and there he still is, in my mind.
But on a lighter note. Great news that there is a hog back. I found the acrilyc roof with open sides idea worked quite well – even with hogs who didn’t like going in boxes. But some birds will go under in the mornings, if there’s any food left – especially starlings, I found.
Yes, I also get a good selection of corvids coming down for any leftovers they can get hold of! I had a hilarious video a couple of years back of a rat chasing a magpie. The magpie kept trying to get some of the leftovers, but the rat wouldn’t have it and every time the magpie landed the rat charged at it. Never seen a rat with so much energy! It was pretty much rat 1 magpie nil! Even though the rat didn’t ever manage to catch even as much as a feather!
All of life is here in the microcosm of our garden! 🙂 🙂 🙂
I feel for you – it have been a terrible experience to lose a hog to such traumatic injuries.
A good reminder to check for hedgehogs before any heavy garden work. Maybe there should be a printed warning on every strimmer sold? A way to educate folk at point of sale?Sorry – sort of replying to myself here! It’s all right saying, but doing is completely different!!!
Mid year resolution; ask local council re: their public space contractors checking for hedgehogs, write nicely to nearby garden centre to maybe display a warning/reminder notice by both hedgehog food and strimmers?
” A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” – will update in due course re: my single step.Thanks, Celeste and well done starting the Strimmer thread. It’s always useful to have the dangers of strimmers emphasised.
You may also be interested in this, about robotic lawn mowers:
https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/research-robotic-lawnmowers/
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