missing hoggies
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For the last 4 years I have had hedgehogs visiting every night for food, some wild hogs, some that had been treated and re released,4 or 5 girls and half a dozen boys, most of which had been weighed and checked earlier this year and 4 that were re released weeks ago after treatment. We have a wildlife camera and as most hogs were marked we could keep a watch from a distance. Then suddenly numbers dropped then stopped altogether. We have had no hogs for 3 weeks now, not one. I have checked around, there is no building work going on…the gardens are all open plan and nothing is blocked, and a friend 3 streets away who also had my hogs visiting him has not seen them since 4 weeks ago. There are no dead bodies thankfully and no grubbing up of hedgerows. Since most of my hoggies have been around for a couple of years or released a couple of months ago- I am bereft! Any ideas?
I am feeling bereft too. I have been feeding hedgehogs every night all summer and a week ago all three have completely disappeared. Is this normal?
Hi Hogloopy
It is possible they have gone to hibernate already. I would keep leaving food and water out, if you can, in case any turn up again. Also sometimes hoglets turn up on their own quite late in the year.
Hi Nic
Thanks for your reply. Yes I have left food and water out but ironically one of the smaller ones turned up at 10am this morning, covered in ticks and looking a bit wobbly.I took it straight to the vet and they have referred him on to a wildlife rescue centre for treatment. Hope he survives and comes back to live in our garden again at some point. Quite concerned now about the other two hedgehogs, can they hibernate this early? It’s still so mild here in Devon.Hi Hogloopy
Well done getting help for the little one. I hope he is ok.
Most of the male hedgehogs here disappeared at the beginning of September with one remaining one disappearing 2 weeks later. They did the same last year and the first one returned at the beginning of March this year – about 2 months earlier than the females. It may not be quite as mild as Devon here, but probably not far off.
The females are slightly more complicated, as it is possible they are having late hoglets.
I know it is a worry, (some of the female visitors from here have also disappeared). There is no way of knowing why, but at this time of year, it may be a case of waiting until the Spring to see who turns up again.
Why they sometimes disappear earlier in the year is also a bit of a mystery. There could be many reasons other than that they have come to some sort of harm. For example, their route could have been blocked, someone else may be feeding them nearer, they may be having hoglets, etc. With wild animals it is not always possible to know. Even if they are in trouble, we can only help them if they come to us for help, like the little one there did. They give us joy, but also worry.
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