A Day in the Life of a Hedgehog

Madeline Jenkins

Hedgehogs are nocturnal but what if we could see

them in the day.

We could see their daily needs and what they encounter.

Perhaps we could learn more in the light of day.

But I’m not confined to this area, I travel some distance.

I live here in this garden.

I’m helpful to have around. I will happily gobble up the slugs and snails in your garden.

An enclosed garden can get in the way of our plans. We have many barriers to contend with such as roads and rivers.

We sometimes attempt to climb. But our bodies are not really designed for this task.

I am not territorial. But prefer my own company.

This fooled the dog. It tried pushing me along with its nose but my sharp spines hurt it.

A small leap,and into the next garden I travel.

The world outside the nest. The hogs have much to learn and discover.

Often the gaps are too small for us adults to fit through.We have to find another route.

The young hogs cannot leave the nest for a long time.And so they are left in the nest to shelter.

We can travel through small gaps.As we flatten our body’s and stretch under.

We have many predators. We use our senses to carefully decide on a new route.

I gobbled up the sweet contents. But when finished I found my spines were wedged inside. I luckily managed to wriggle free.

Be tidy in the garden. We can easily get trapped and hurt.

If you find one of my friends who look on the skinny side,please try to fatten him or her up by hibernation time. Which starts in November.

Hedgehog Street is a new collaboration between the British Hedgehog Preservation Society and The Mammal Society, funded by

the BBC Wildlife Fund and PTES.

The project aims to link up hedgehog-friendly habitats in urban

environments to help them find food and shelter. It involves the collaboration of communities along the same road to

help link up their gardens.