Video- Hedgehog stuck and taken up from ventillation shaft

[Jens]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jensraberg/27066659837/in/dateposted-public/

The video is from where I live in sweden, so here is some translation:
Children in the area showed me the hedgehog trapped in a hole probably for some kind of basement ventillation that the landlord didn’t finish with net.

After I pick it up the boy says it’s soo sweet. I tell them that it’s good that they told me. The girl shouts to the boy that he doesent know anything about hedgehogs. Then I release it.

After this I checked the rest of the ventillation shafts and will call the landlord.

[Jens]

Today the landlord hasn’t done anything. I walked around the shafts and noticed one missed that today had a dead hedgehog with a big stone over it. Another big stone beside it, so the stones have seemingly deliberately been thrown in.

So there is both taking needed with the municipal landlord and a long term talk with (probably) children in the area. I talk with children often and they tell me about hogs. I hope this will raise the status of the hogs in the mind of the children.

I have less hope about the municipal landlord. They have written that biological diversity isn’t relevant in the city.

[Nic]

Well done saving the hedgehog, Jens. So sorry to hear about the dead hedgehog. Those shafts definitely look a problem for the hogs and need to have some sort of grill put over them. Really horrid to think someone may have done that on purpose. Do you have any laws there about cruelty to animals or any animal welfare organisations?

The landlord’s response is very disappointing. I would have thought the fact that there are hedgehogs around should be considered to be a bonus, especially in a city, and something to be proud of. Is there any way you could research grills to go over the shaft tops which might be available and tell the landlords about them. Otherwise this could keep happening. It must be so frustrating for you.

Keep up the good work with the children. If the hedgehogs all disappear they will be the ones who are the losers. Getting them all on the side of the hedgehogs, seems to me, a very good thing to do.

[Jens]

Thanks!
I don’t think there is such a law for wild animals, but the school have been talking to pupils, and maybe parents.

Found out today that these shafts aren’t new and several hogs have been picked up live last year.

When i told the landlord yesterday morning about the dead hog, I told them just the area and not the adress because they need to look in all of them also for live hogs. I hoped that the idea of smell and flies near an air intake might motivate them to look in al of the shafts. The dead hog was still there today and it is very warm. I will remind them next office day.

On a happier note a neighbour have seen one mating including a male I marked last year. also we saw one crossing the road yesterday after sunset, but still in very light conditions. Still waiting for the masses to come.

Here is the first I saw the 19 of may:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jensraberg/40672487075/in/dateposted-public/lightbox/

I made a sound to make it come forward.

[Nic]

Hi Jens

It’s good to hear that the school are talking to the children about the hedgehogs.

I wondered whether it might help, with the landlords, if you got some of the other tenants to, maybe, sign a joint letter asking for something to be done about the ventilation shafts. You will know better than I, whether that is likely to be helpful or not, but just an idea.

Just another thought, but if there are people there who would do harm to the hedgehogs, is it a good idea to get them too used to people?

Good luck.

[Jens]

Thanks!
That is absolutely a point about not making the hedgehogs so used to people. A difficult point for me. Maybe since i like it and my reasoning might be skewed, hoping that what it brings brom filming and popularisning them will benefit them. Friends have been making similar points.

Someone from the landlord called me this morning to find the shafts. Now I’ve written a sms to the number with adresses to the two blocks where the shafts are.

[Nic]

Hi Jens

You are doing a good job there for the hedgehogs.

I know it will be difficult for you. I can tell from your posts that you love the hogs and love the interaction, but I think you will still be able to get some really good films and continue to popularise them, just maybe not encourage the hedgehogs to notice you – a slightly different challenge, but a worthwhile one. Maybe it is, also, a good message to pass to the children that the hedgehogs are best given a bit of space to be wild hedgehogs, so they can learn to respect them and not think of them like pets.

Good luck with the landlords. They should know that having wildlife around is good for mental health and wellbeing and is something that should be cherished.

[Jens]

Thanks!

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