Temporary guest Spike the hedgehog!

[Eriathwen]

Id imagine they will keep her until they're also safe to release now, it would be a shame to disturb her and cause her to abandon them. I've let them know any babies are also welcome back too, to avoid disturbing the local population as much as possible. But that would depend how they deal with releasing families!

 

[Maz]

It sounds a bit wait and see then

 

[Frida]

Lovely to hear how the hedgehog is doing

 

[Riven]

Brilliant news Eriathwen! If Mrs Spike is pregnant hopefully it'll be a nice easy birth for her. Will help the population somewhat too. Within a month they'll know.

 

[Eriathwen]

So guess whose home!? It was decided she is fit for release and if she is pregnant, best to have them out in the wild where she belongs. I'll continue to feed her for a few weeks, at the very least, while she gets used to being back in her own territory again. I'd forgotten how massive she is hopefully she fits out the door of the hedgehog house I got for her! I'd love for her to raise babies in it or at least use it to hibernate, but if she doesn't, I'm sure someone else will.

 

[RainbowBrite]

How lovely she is home! You have set up a lovely house for her.

 

[elusive]

That’s such great news, I’m sure she’ll appreciate the house & extra food. It is a nice house that one & it will be lovely if she has her babies in there.

 

[Maz]

This is really quite exciting! How great to have a pregnant hedgehog in your garden! And having baby hedgehogs. Maybe she really is bigger if she's pregnant ha ha. It looks like a very nice, cosy hedgehog home

 

[Eriathwen]

she decided she knew the smell of home and stuff the plans. She shifted a paving slab that almost killed me dragging across the garden, which I'd used to block the door, she is incredibly strong!! I decided not to scare her by trying to grab her and shut her away again, she clearly knows where she is and hasn't strayed far from the house, I put it between the hedge and a very overgrown border which will be full of food, which is where she's currently set up camp. I'll put some food in the house later tonight to see if she goes back to it at all. Fingers crossed she lives a long, happy life back in the wild
It's lovely to see her back where she belongs.

 

[elusive]

She’s a real beauty!

 

[Member ID2]

It is so rare to get a good photo of a hedgehog in the wilds. This is really special.

 

[Maz]

It certainly is special. Is "in the wild" still in your garden or nearby?

 

[RainbowBrite]

Wow, how could she be strong enough to move a paving slab? That is amazing!

 

[Eriathwen]

Shes still in the garden, I basically live in a very large square of terrace style houses all backing onto eachother about 10-15 houses long each side, inside the square is everyone's gardens, and next to us are quite thick wooded areas but they have to cross a road to get there so I'm hoping she remains in the gardens.

I honestly can't believe she moved the slab either, but she is huge, bigger than the guinea pigs even! The lady at the rescue even said she was a very big one, so given how many must pass through their doors I suppose she must be an oddity to have them comment on it hopefully that works in her favour and no one bothers her out there.

 

[RainbowBrite]

That really is amazing. I had no idea hedgehogs were so strong. She is so beautiful.

 

[Frida]

What a beautiful hedgehog I love the house too.

 

[Member ID2]

So many gardens in one place must create an ideal environment for wildlife with food and shelter always available.
Do you have holes in fences so hedgehogs can pass through?

 

[Eriathwen]

The majority of people, us included, still have privet hedges rather than fences so it's ideal for them to squeeze through, lots of nesting places for birds too!

 

[Riven]

She is beautiful! So glad that she is fit enough for release, even if she is pregnant. Hopefully we'll see some babies soon. Yours and our neighbours gardens sound like the perfect place for a mumma to bring up her little hoglets. Glad she's feeling settled and 'back at home'. Keep us updated on her please (with plenty of photos if possible).

 

[Maz]

What happened with the hedgehog Eriathwen? Did it have babies?