The hedgehog returns

Yesterday was a good day because for the first time in four years a hedgehog visited our garden. I woke up and checked the backyard camera and was overjoyed to see a little spiky friend having a drink from the bird water bowl.

Four years ago we released several rescue hedgehogs into the backyard. We fed them and I happily watched them on the wildlife camera but after a few weeks they all disappeared. I never knew what happened to them. Maybe they simply found a better place to forage? I never found any bodies at least so can’t confirm whether they came to a sad end but I honestly thought I’d never see another again. That all changed yesterday. The footage is not very good but it is unmistakably hedgehog.

I felt bad the water bowl was so low as this little creature was clearly thirsty. I topped it up last night and also put some cat food in the hedgehog feeding that station that’s been sitting in the garden empty for four years. Feeding stations are good because they have a flappy door which rats can’t navigate but hedgehogs can.

Sadly no hedgehog returned last night but a neighbourhood cat spent much of the night trying to break into the feeding station. It looks like he may have got some of the food as you can see him licking his lips on the video as though he’s managed to get something. Most of the food is still there today so he was largely unsuccessful. Victoria is the first cat in the video but she gives up rather quickly. The neighbourhood cat is very persistent.

I hope it wasn’t a one-off visit and that our spiky friend comes back regularly.