Now in our town there are two youngsters who decided a few years ago to try and help hedgehogs.
The hedgehog species is declining in numbers due to modern life and they need a little help. These young teenagers have been taking them in, making sure they are fit and then releasing them back to the wild. Hedgehogs are not pets - they're wild creatures.
Last week they brought three of the recovered hogs to Lifeways which is just down our road. Here's a link to tell you what Lifeways is. Behind the house is a HUGE garden and this is where the hogs were released. The manager at Lifeways is an avid supporter of conservation issues and welcomed the three hogs. One neighbour built homes for them (should they decide to stay) and they were let loose.
This, of course, made me want to make the manager a tatted Houtz hog so that's what I did. Then another neighbour deserved one so again - that's what I did!!! I forgot to take pictures before those two left me!!! Then another friend feeds hedgehogs at her house in a nearby town so I've made her one as well but this time I remembered to take a few photos!!! First the tatted one and then the 'real deal'!!!
We're the proud 'parents' of a Pricky Back Otchan (old East Yorkshire name for hedgehog). I put the leftover cat food out at night and have seen it regularly at late dusk helping itself to grub! The cats object of course... but they do give him a wide berth! Years ago a young one used to chase Chris's toes round the garden!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a good way to thank hedgehog helpers!
ReplyDeleteHedgehogs are so cute, that's great that Lifeways helps them out! You're little hedge hog is a perfect gift. The Hours hedgehog is on my to tat list now!!
ReplyDeleteThat is adorable and we don't have hedgehogs here in the U.S. that is fascinating and of course great tatting my dear!
ReplyDeleteSO CUTE!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteGreat hedgehog!! :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a nice gift, I don't think I've ever seen one but we have lots of other critters here.
ReplyDeleteLovely gifts for the hedgehog helpers - wonderful to see teens participating! I learned about the wild European hedgehogs while in Finland a few years ago - there is a cussing hedgehog cartoon there. People have hedgehogs here as pets, so I was a little confused at first. The European hedgehog is brown (dirty-looking) and the ones I’ve seen as pets are cute and have white bellies - African pygmy hedgehogs I believe. I didn’t catch on to the “dirty hedgehog” cartoon until I realized the difference in color of the two kinds of hedgehogs I was thinking about. Long story, but boy, did we laugh!
ReplyDeleteJane, question, if I may. The hedgehog looks a bit like a porcupine. Are the hairs, quills? That is, are they stiff and sharp and can give you a nasty sting? Perhaps as a defense mechanism? You know we don't have them here in South Carolina.
ReplyDeleteIt's a lot smaller than a porcupine, Tim. The hairs are quills and are stiff and sharp ish too. They don't sting but the poor things often have mites or fleas. They're a lovely asset to a garden as they eat slugs but unfortunately we have walls on two sides of our garden and the house is the third side. Apparently they roam for around two miles so would be 'trapped' in our garden. Wish we had them though. They're much loved over here. Sorry you don't have them. Oh, they curl up into a prickly ball if you go near them or try to pick them up.
ReplyDeleteI can tell a nice story I was living in Pijnakker a small village in the neighborhood off Den Haag I came home late in the middle of the night and there was a hedgehog in my garden I was looking at the little one. They are so cute. Than number 2 came up and this one was running around number one it was so funny, but not for long because number three came in and there was a fight a big fight between number 2 and number 3. At that moment I understood what was going on Number 1 is a female and 2 and 3 are males Number 2 didn't want number 3 so he was trying to drive him off. He did that by trying to come under the needles to the soft part of his belly and push and push him away I was sitting there for an hour at least number 3 gave up and went a way. So I thought I have to go and leave the 2 to love each other`
ReplyDeleteHugs Riet the B-engel
Oh, Riet, that's funny. Unrequited love and all the problems that causes!!!
ReplyDelete