Brock vs Tiggy

[STYRBJORN]

As I understand it, the only natural predator of the hedgepig in Britain is the badger. A badger will carefully pick up a rolled up 'pig in its mouth, carry it to the nearest pond/stream and drop it in. The 'pig's swimming reflex cuts in, it unrolls and the badger flips it over and CHOMP. Dead piggy, well fed brock.
The population of badgers is increasing fast. The population of hedgepigs is falling fast. Could there be a causative linkage?

I only ask.

Ric

[The Woodman]

I've never heard of this method of execution. Have you seen it happen ?

Your post caught my eye because I've just visited a captive Eagle Owl, a thirty year old female who kills any Hedgehog that enters her avairy and makes a good job of stripping it out.

If they do that in the wild, are there only two natural predators that kill hedgehogs?

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by The Woodman

I've never heard of this method of execution. Have you seen it happen ?

Your post caught my eye because I've just visited a captive Eagle Owl, a thirty year old female who kills any Hedgehog that enters her avairy and makes a good job of stripping it out.

If they do that in the wild, are there only two natural predators that kill hedgehogs?

Some Foxes will also take Hedgehogs, especially smaller ones.

I was aware of a negative correlation between Badger + Hedgehog.

[blackb1rd]

Just for info I was woken in the night a couple of years ago by high pitched screaming/squeeling from the garden. Rushed out with a torch to see what was going on and one of the local badgers shot out from bushes next to the pond and ran off, and in the pond making all the noise was a hedgehog.

That's as close as I've come to the 'badgers dunking hedgehogs' theory but it may well have been what was happening.

[STYRBJORN]

I did say "As I understand". . . I can well imagine a wise old Reynard using the same method. And yes, I have watched a badger using the method. I was living in a back country uphill commune and we took as much of our food as we could from the land. We copied the badger and ate a few hedgepigs taken his way. Sorry if that upsets folk on here, but the piggies died for a reason. Better dinner for a hippy than roadkill surely? As for the Eagle Owl, if she'd gone into competition for quarry we would have legged it and no messing. Have you seen the size of their wingspan?

Back to my point, is there any causative connection between the increase in badger numbers and decrease in hedgepig numbers? Could it be that the badgers are affecting the numbers of 'piggies by eating them?

Ric

[eeyore]

its an old wives tale about them being rolled into water - and its usually said to be foxes that do it

badgers don't need to resort to that kind of method as they are the only uk predator which has strong enough front paws to just unroll a hog manually

[paulthomas]

Originally Posted by STYRBJORN

Back to my point, is there any causative connection between the increase in badger numbers and decrease in hedgepig numbers?

No. Hedgehog (there's no such mammal as a hedgepig!!!!) numbers have declined in areas of low badger density as well as areas of high badger density. The RBCT did record an increase in the hedgehog population within the cull areas but this is believed to be due to the increased availability of food. The main cause of the decline in hedgehog numbers is down to the activity of a certain species of bipedal vermin.

[posie]

Originally Posted by paulthomas

No. Hedgehog (there's no such mammal as a hedgepig!!!!) numbers have declined in areas of low badger density as well as areas of high badger density. The RBCT did record an increase in the hedgehog population within the cull areas but this is believed to be due to the increased availability of food.


The main cause of the decline in hedgehog numbers is down to the activity of a certain species of bipedal vermin.

Could you explain what your last sentence means please Paul, do you mean roadkill, or is there something I don't know about?..Posie..

[STYRBJORN]

Down to us - H.sap. I incline to agree but . .

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by posie

Could you explain what your last sentence means please Paul, do you mean roadkill, or is there something I don't know about?..Posie..

I think he means the actions of mankind in general- cars, slug pellets, habitat destruction, etc, etc.