Garden Hedgehog

**Miss Z** · 08-31-2008, 04:40 PM

Found this little guy sat on the back garden patio this morning and thought I should snap a few pics to share with Pet Talk. I used to see a lot more of these cute little things, but they seem to be in decline around my area.

I thought s/he may be ill, because it can be a bad sign if they are out in the open during the day and s/he didn't seem to be too keen to move. I put the little guy in a box with some paper shreddings, which I put underneath a bush in my garden, to keep it out of the wind and rain, and left a bit of corned beef and water near the 'entrance'. I did think about calling the vet, but after I'd left it for a few hours, I returned to find s/he had eaten the beef and drunk the water and returned to the wild.

**moosmom** · 08-31-2008, 05:23 PM

What a sweet lil guy!!! You done good, Zara. You're going to make an awesome vet!

**Karen** · 08-31-2008, 05:28 PM

Awww! Yes, sadly the wild hedgehog is declining in numbers - thanks for taking such good care and good pictures.

**Alysser** · 09-01-2008, 10:20 AM

Hedgehogs have always been on my top pet list, they just have the sweetest little faces, all of them are so freakin' cute! I've always wanted a hedgehog but they eat insects, I think, and I would NOT be able to give an animal insects as food, EW

What an adorable little visitor, Zara! How nice of you to help the little cutie out.

**Casper** · 09-01-2008, 03:05 PM

Good job with helping the little guy out, and thanks! He sure is a cute one.

I wonder why their numbers are declining....

**Miss Z** · 09-01-2008, 03:56 PM

Thanks everyone.

Yes, you're right, Alyssa, they do eat a lot of little critters. My dad hopes this little guy will stick around in the garden and eat the slugs that keep destroying his plants.

Courtney, I think they are declining for many reasons. A lot are, sadly, killed on the roads. Some are killed by rubbish - I rescued one a few years ago which was stuck in the plastic rings which hold beer cans together. I think also pesticides and slug killers harm hedgehogs when they eat the infected prey.

Their habitat has diminished greatly too over the years; the UK population is booming and we're cramming so many homes into such a small island!

Thankfully, there is a lot of parkland next to my house where some hedgehogs can still thrive.

**Twisterdog** · 09-01-2008, 07:43 PM

Oh, my. That is SO cute! I wish they lived around here!

**ramanth** · 10-12-2008, 07:29 PM

So cute!

**Killearn Kitties** · 10-13-2008, 03:54 AM

I'm not sure that I would hold out much hope of them eating the slugs. We often have hedgehogs in our garden and I have always encouraged them for the same reason. Sadly, they fail to live up to my expectations. They always seem to find something more attractive to eat.

Those are beautiful pictures you got.

**Maya & Inka's mommy** · 10-13-2008, 04:31 AM

Awww look at his cute little face

**Taz_Zoee** · 10-13-2008, 10:17 AM

Oh my goodness!! How cute is that?
The funny thing is, it looks just like the hedgehog dog toys Zoee loves. I guess it's a good thing we do not have live hedgehogs around here.