One of the things I like most about the British is their overwhelming love of animals and wildlife. There are tons of animal protection societies, and, if you want to see how seriously they take this stuff, see the fantastic article in the latest New Yorker about the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. That piece, “Operation Easter”, by Julian Rubenstein, is an engrossing read about the lengths to which the RSPB goes to catch and prosecute egg-collectors, a small but fanatical band of marauders who, to supplement their collections, remove eggs from the nests of endangered birds. I was glad to see that this article, which kept me up past my bedtime last night, is free online.
But I digress. I like to end the work week on an up note, one preferably involving animals. And reader “Gravelinspector” from the UK just gave me the chance by sending an email and some pictures. Upshot: mother hedgehog accidentally drowned, but baby is save. His email:
I’m sure your UK readers will have mentioned that the whole country is suffering a bit of a heatwave at the moment. Flooring the loft (american:attic?) is not recommended ; severely un-fun!
But more seriously, Dad had an unpleasant find in the garden pond at the weekend – a dead hedgehog. It probably fell into the pond while trying to get a drink. Very sad; have to re-design the pond with a crawl-out zone. But when burying the unfortunate, Dad also noticed a baby hedgehog crawling around the area.
Consultation with the local animal rescue got the diagnosis “two days old; viable” and so it’s off to the world of eye droppers of milk followed by dishes of cat food. No others were found in the garden, so if there were multiple hedehoglets … well that’s evolution in action.
Our only action on finding the hedgehoglet was to put a large flower pot over it with a brick on top to protect it from birds or cats while we contacted the rescue people; in the event that its Mum was still around, we didn’t want to leave undue scents.
A bundle of soft-spined cuteness to counteract your squirrel’s fluffiness.
Time to check those ponds to see if small animals can actually get out if they fall in! And make sure there’s a drinking water supply too!
Gravelinspector notes that the person fostering this baby is taking care of nine other baby hedgehogs!
Who doesn’t love these creatures? They’re cute, relatively tame, and the gardener’s helper. Pity that they’re vanishing from the UK.
As a bunch of people on this planet, we Brits ain’t that bad ….
Your passion for fauna and flora is something rather endearing about you Brits. My own window into the British mind comes courtesy of the BBC, and its many fascinating and, to a continental, rather peculiar programs. What other national broadcaster dedicates so much time to gardening or nature shows? Where else can one find live, prime time evening programs about sheep and lambing? No wonder Britain produced so many great naturalists.
I still hope that given the choice between “wrong but easy” and “right but hard” the Brits will choose, like their forebears, the latter.
A big thank you to David Attenborough – one of greatest gifts to the world.
Couldn’t agree with your more, bonetired 🙂
As an ex-pat Brit living in Canada, I remember the days when cruelty to animals was a royal domain – The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, whereas children did not enjoy royal patronage, viz: NSPCC – the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.
I’ve always been jealous that the UK has hedgehogs. I wish they were here because they are so cute!
Sad about the drowned hedgey but glad the baby is okay!
Reblogged this on karaskonjectures.
It’s Spiny Normini!
Mini-Norman
Tiny Norman. (I knew I’d get it, eventually)
There are many reasons to like WEIT, one of which is your enthusiasm for and celebration of life, in its many forms. What a cutie pie and what a nice way to close the day–of course there is sorrow for the mama but delight in knowing that hedgey is in good hands.
Cute critter. Sorry it’s an orphan.
No hedgehogs here in the Sonoran Desert…but we do have tortoises, and one in need of an home will eventually have one in my back yard. But first I need to turn said yard into a suitable desert riparian habitat….
b&
I love tortoises too! I actually grew up with one. My parents bought a baby before I was born (back then you could by them which was terrible but luckily my parents knew how to look after the tortoise). They had the tortoise for 40 years & he was a pet I had all my life!
I remember driving home late at night a couple of years ago (I live in England), and out the corner of my eye I saw an adult hedgehog being followed by a cat. The cat looked a little exasperated and was losing interest. I imagined the cat went and had “a go” but didn’t like the spines much. Maybe that didn’t happen, but I hope the hedgehog got home safely 🙂
We put out a childs swimming pool for big dawg every summer. Last year sadly there was a dead squirrel in the pool. I should have known something like a shingle would have given the poor thing traction.
Reminds me of one of my father’s sweet traits. If there was a turtle in the road and he could stop safely, he’d pull over, pick up the turtle and put it in the grass (or dirt) at the side of the road.
My dad always did that too & I do it as well. I’ve been honked at too! Jerks!
I’ve stopped and helped many a painted turtle across the road, but you learn early on to hold the pee end away from you.
Once when I was a toddler, my dad rescued a snapper. He put it in the trunk with a shovel & the snapper bit on to the shovel. He managed to transport it off the road & to the water it was heading toward! Mostly I find painted turtles that I help across the road as well.
On my second driving lesson, when I was 15, I had not the presence of mind to swerve, to avoid running over a turtle. I drove another few yards before I could find a place to pull over and stop the car. I was with my dad, who did not have much fondness for tears, especially mine. Having stopped, I covered my face with my hands and cried very hard. Crying, running over a turtle, these are the sorts of things that could launch my dad into the stratosphere. But he just sat there in silence until I recovered and then asked me if I was ready to go.
In New Zealand (South island) the hedgehogs just carpet the road and every truck and car that passes by adds to the carpet.
As for birds – a few weeks ago the Assholes With Guns Society went on a rampage in a nature reserve and shot anything that moved; the rangers recovered at least 150 or so threatened and critically endangered birds killed by gunshot. The free-for-all was part of the government’s bizarre bid to encourage reckless assholes with guns to go shooting in public parks.
I’m truly surprised, I thought all those types of assholes were in American red states.
This really surprises me too.
But as to the OP, two opposable thumbs up!
We have ’em in Canada too – not only Assholes with Guns, but Assholes with Conybear Traps as well.A handsome Red Setter died an agonising death in a Conybear trap not long ago about 40 miles south of us and the dog owner was vilified by the red-neck who owned the trap for allowing her dog to run free on Crown,(publicly owned),Land. Yep – we got ’em !
Yes, the asshole phenomenon is universal. There just may seem to be more in the US because the population is larger and they can cluster!
More UK animal love: the first wild beaver in England in 800 years. The reason I know about it is that it made first page news in Sweden.
But who reintroduced it? It’s a mystery.
For hedgehog lovers see:
http://www.sttiggywinkles.org.uk/
(and other wildlife too)
Reaffirms faith in human nature.
Reblogged this on Mark Solock Blog.
These baby Echidnas, born Aug 2012 in the zoo in Western Australia, are also cute and might be an example of convergent evolution to the hedgehog:
http://www.perthzoo.wa.gov.au/looking-sharp-perth-zoos-echidna-puggles-growing-up-14768/
Squeee!