I'm finding hedgehogs in my garden...

[Arzy]

So I stay on the border of an eco estate, basically just a palisade fence seperating me from "nature", its all very nice seeing game walk down the fence and all. The last week or two however I've had some pleasant surprises.

I have two yorkshire terriers in my yard and now for a couple of nights I've heard them go absolutely balistic and then run away crying. I go outside and check but rarely found anything so I just brought the dogs inside. Then it finally happened!

One night standing on my balcony looking down I saw the first little hedgehog run up and down the palisade, under the electric fencing, in my yard without a care in the world. A couple of nights later I found another one at my front door and last night a bigger one at my patio.

I'm assuming that they come into my yard because I have big floodlights set up that attract insects which then fall onto the grass and these little guys are then coming in to have a feast.

So far I've basically just been catching the little guys and then putting them through the fence again so that they don't shock themselves when they try and do it on their own.

Does anyone have experience with hedgehogs however? I'm scared that either my dogs or the hedgehogs are going to get hurt if I'm not there to watch or that the hedgehogs may get hurt by the electric fencing (the dogs learned the lesson on their own)...don't really want either to happen cause they are all so damn cute...

Will dump some pics of one I caught tonight...

 

[stoke]

Na, they're secret Neotel agents, they sneak in and spike your ADSL line!

 

[xrapidx]

LOL - the dogs could attack them, but I doubt it, yorkie might be to small

... don't see many of them around anymore.

 

[Freshy-ZN]

Thats awesome. What part of the world is this?

 

[LCBXX]

Hedgehog + Electric Fence = Sonic the Hedgehog

 

[Arzy]

Meyersdal in Alberton

I must say I'm very happy with where my house is, see lots of interesting things. Antelope so far includes Kudu, Rooihartbees and Bontebok. Then I regularly get woken up by Owls on the roof, think they are barnowls. I also have a little family of Dassies living on the rocks in a copse of trees just other side the fence.

In my yard I've found lots of frogs, field mice, scorpions...a dead meerkat, he didn't survive the yorkies...and now the hedgehogs, just don't want the hedgehogs to get hurt at this stage.

Oh and there is this big cat like thing that I see now and then that I haven't been able to identify, don't have a set of boniculars at home, thinking its a Rooikat...

 

[cerebus]

LOL!!!

I'd be concerned with the electric fences. Hedgehogs are surprisingly good jumpers. I think the dogs will learn to live in peace with them because they can't do much to hurt them. They'll just roll into a spikey ball if they get threatened - dogs can't do much with that. They are darn cute hey? They'd make great pets but they're too good at escaping. Why don't you put some food out for them and see if they'll become tame? Perhaps some kind of mielie mash...

 

[blunomore]

Finding hedgehogs in one's garden is rather romantic in an old-world way ... enjoy it.

 

[xrapidx]

Hedgehog + Electric Fence = Sonic the Hedgehog

ROFL

 

[The_Unbeliever]

1.
You can bugger the bear, if you do it with care,
in the winter, when he is asleep in his lair,
Though I would not advise it in spring or in fall--
but the hedgehog can never be buggered at all.

2.
If you're feeling quite coarse, you can bugger the horse,
or the palfrey, the jennet, the stallion (with force),
You can bugger the donkey, the mare, or the mule,
Though to bugger the pony is needlessly cruel.

3.
You can bugger the ox (if you stand on a box)
And vulpologists say you can bugger the fox,
You can bugger the shrew, though it's awfully small--
but the hedgehog cvan never be buggered at all.

4.
Herptologists gasp you can bugger the asp,
Entymologists claim you can bugger the wasp.
If an insects your thing, man, then just have a ball--
But the hedgehog can never be buggered at all.

5.
And the elephant too, that you meet in the zoo,
Can be buggered if you are sure just what to do,
You will need a large mattress upon which to fall--
but the hedgehog cvan never be buggered at all.

6.
You can bugger the bees if your down on your knees,
You can bugger the termites with terminal ease
you can bugger the beetle, the ladybug (bird!) too,
there's no end to the buggering that you can do.

7.
You can bugger the cat if it isn't to fat
You can bugger the rabbit you draw from your hat
You can bugger the shark that you've chased in your yawl--
but the hedgehog can never be buggered at all.

8.
You can bugger the ermine, and all other vermine,
like rats, mice, and roaches, if your not discernin'.
You can bugger the dog, it will come when you call--
but the hedgehog can never be buggered at all.

9.
Although Mr. Tiggy is not very big, he
Avoids with great ease those who fancy his arse.
He just curls in a ball, shows his prickles and all--
And the would-be seducer leaves himin the grass

10.
If you're that kind of fool, and you have a long tool,
Do it with a giraffe, if you stand on a stool,
Catch a yeti, who lives in the snows of Nepal--
but the hedgehog can never be buggered at all.

11.
For the hedgehog escapes the posterior rapes
Performed upon others of different shapes
Those who run, swim, or slither, they get it withal--
But the hedgehog can never be buggered at all.

12.
It is said, if you try, you can bugger the fly,
Or the swallow as it skims so skilfully by,
Use a noose or a net, or lime (if you've the gall)--
but the hedgehog can never be buggered at all

13.
You can bugger the cow (I will not tell you how),
Or the boar, or the piglet, the shoat or the sow,
You can bugger the ass as it stands in the stall--
But the hedgehog can never be buggered at all.

14.
You can order or shoo 'im, or run a knife through 'im
The one thing you cannot do is stick it to 'im.
If you try to seduce 'im, you'll end in a fix,
His prickles defend him against rampant pricks.

15.
You can bugger the ram, you can bugger the lamb,
You can bugger the ewe, though the wether's a sham,
You can bugger the tiger (it may caterwaul)
But the hedgehog can never be buggered at all.

16.
You can bugger the seal, you can bugger the eel,
You can bugger the crab, though they say it can't feel,
You can bugger the bat as the night casts its pall,
But the hedgehog can never be buggered at all.

17.
You can bugger the snake (hold it down with a rake),
Though to bugger the quetzal may be a mistake.
You can bugger the billy, the nanny the kid,
But to bugger the hedeghog just cannot be did.

18.
You can bugger the slug, though it messes the rug,
You can bugger the different species of bug,
Or do it with a snail, if you slow to a crawl,
But the hedgehog can never be buggered at all.

19.
At the end of the day, when you've had your rough way
With all of those creatures, you'll just have to say
"That damned Erinaceous has been my downfall--"
For the hedgehog can never be buggered at all!

 

[Arzy]

I must say they are damn cute, the ony I "released" last night had some blood on one of its spines, I originally thought it got hurt and gave it a quick check over and realised it must have been one of the dogs so I left it at that.

My brother in law has asked that the next time I catch one I keep it for him, told him I wouldn't be doing that and while I also think they would make damn nice pets if you could tame them, I still feel they belong in the wild.

I just don't want them to get hurt thats all.

Regarding my Yorkies, one is a miniature with the heart of a doberman, she's even survived poisoning (Two-Step, Aldecarb, whatever you want to call it). She'll take on anything regardless of how big or small it is...I think she got the meerkat. Then there is Gimli, who is a supposedly a standard size yorkie (I HAVE PAPERS TO PROVE IT!) but sort of...um...hasn't stopped growing yet and he's two years old already...he's very chilled though, I think his overall size is compensating for the reduction in brain matter...he'll do basically everything Izzy does, after about two or three minutes when he's realised she's doing something. But he's just a big teady bear in the end...

I'll assume that the commentary is correct though that they'll get used to the hedgehogs and stop trying to play with the spikey ball at some stage...

 

[medicnick83]

Can't you take pictures and show us... I'd love to see one.

 

[Arzy]

I took the other night of the one at the front door, will post tonight, didn't take of the big hedgehog last night, it was raining too much.

 

[Kitten]

Had a golden retriever which used to bring in hedgehogs unharmed, vets said that the retriever forms a layer of saliva which protects the little guys. Very cute creatures. You can't do much damage if you're carefully putting them back in their homes, and if you hold them really carefully after a minute or two they uncurl their heads and peek up at you, SO CUTE!!

 

[RVFmal]

Arzy

You are indeed fortunate to have these creatures so close to you

I would not worry about your dogs hurting the HH's, they are more than adept at looking after themselves.

How far off the ground is the first strand of electric fencing? I assume that if they can get in, then there is space for them to get under it to get out again. take it you border a reserve? If so, have a chat to the Keepers there and ask their opinion of what they would recommend in terms of the electric fencing and the HH's.

It is not just the fact that they belong in the wild as opposed to being domesticated and kept as a pet, but it is also illegal to take in a wild animal (yes, even a HH) to be kept as a pet. So ensure that your BIL understands this.

Look forward to the pictures

 

[cerebus]

It's very difficult to keep hold of them. They can climb out of boxes and over fences very easily. The best is to just put food out for them and they'll end up hanging around. You really don't need to worry about them with the dogs I think - they're about as good at protecting themselves as it gets. When they're in a ball they can be bounced around and all kinds no problem.

 

[Freshy-ZN]

Really think you are so lucky. I also border a natural area and a reserve. See some cool stuff too especially snakes. Lots of raptors, wild cats, mongooses etc.

Would love to see pics of your HHs

 

[Arzy]

Regarding the electric fencing, I'll explain it from the eco estate side.

You basically have the estate, then a fire break thats also used as road to patrol the borders. At the edge of this fire break/road there is a small retaining wall, about 30cm high to keep water out of homes. Then there is the eco estates electric fence which is 24 lines, low voltage and almost never on. This is attached to the palisade itself which shares a foundation with the retaining wall and the eco estates electric fence runs about 15cm above this foundation.

On my side of the palisade I have a 16 line (I think) electric fence running at 10kV, I didn't want to put this up but had to after I was attacked at home, my fence runs about 20cm above the ground, nose height for my dogs

It should also be noted that the foundation of the palisade is not covered with ground or anything, its bare cement. So you have the retaining wall on one side, a set of fencing that isn't on, the palisade itself and on my side with a bit of a grass embankment against it and then 20cm above that my electric fence. In essence its a trench in which the guys can run up and down the entire border of the eco estate and get out where they want too...

 

[Cara]

It's very difficult to keep hold of them. They can climb out of boxes and over fences very easily. The best is to just put food out for them and they'll end up hanging around. You really don't need to worry about them with the dogs I think - they're about as good at protecting themselves as it gets. When they're in a ball they can be bounced around and all kinds no problem.

How is it you know you can 'bounce' a hedgehog around?

 

[Mila]

That is the coolest thing i have heard.... i want to live there!!!