Advice on possible hedgehog disturbance

~T~ · #1 (**permalink**) 26-09-2011, 05:23 PM

Ok so during the summer I built a hedgehog box after seeing hedgehogs in the garden and was delighted they stuck around and would see one or two most nights munching away at the food I left for them. Over the past month or so I've only noticed them now and again and often the food looked untouched so I had thought they had dispersed. Today was my garden clear day with lots of my falied veggies dug up (potatoes did good though) and general garden tidyups. Where the hedgehog box is positioned is under a line of small pine trees that separate mine and my neighbours garden and last winter cats were using it as cover to stalk birds feeding in the garden. I got some great sort of willow trellis/fencing that I wanted to position along the back of the trees at my neighbours side (there is also a small fence already though its no real barrier) to make it much harder for them to get through. Aaaand I had purchased a much better hogitat as I was never really happy with my effort and decided to do the whole lot in one go.
Before moving the box I opened the lid a bit and peered in just in case. It looked like it always had, almost exactly as when I first sited it so I went ahead and started to pull out the straw I had lined it with then just as I got hold of a small handfull "pick" I felt the unmistakable prickles of a hog

I took my hand out immediately and replaced the lid. I kept an eye out for about an hour while I finished tidying and it didn't emerge. I know I only touched it for the briefest moment but it felt very tightly curled and I would say it was quite small (there was a large one and a much smaller one that used to visit). So now im not really sure what to do. I would still like to put the fence up and even put the new hogitat in (though I could position it at the other end). Also I forgot to put the air vent in at the other side of the box from the tunnel (other reason I just wanted to scrap it). So do you think it will now leave when it gets dark due to me disturbing it? Could it be hibernating already (its been pretty wet lately but reasonably mild). Should I wedge open the lid a crack at one side to let air in/out. Sorry for the long post and all the questions but I'm worried about the little fellow and would hate for my own stupidity to cause it harm

Thanks.

CharlieCreek · #2 (**permalink**) 27-09-2011, 07:42 PM

If it is a single hog and not a mum and hoglets, e.g. if you are sure it was one smallish hog then no the disturbance shouldn't make it abandon its home.

What is worth watching for is if it is coming and going from the home. A leaf wedged into the entrance can prove this.

If the hog is coming and going them some supplementary food left out would be great as it will soon start to struggle to put weight on for the winter. If it is coming and going and looks small still in a couple of weeks then it may need to be looked at by a rescuer.

If the hog does not come and go from the hog home then it may be that you have to get it out, weight it and we can go from there. Hogs do often stay in in wet weather for a couple of days, so this may be a reason if it has been wet.

Putting the new fence in wouldn't be an issue as long as there is a little gap for him to go that way if it is open at the moment. Possibly leave the new hog home for now or install it close to the old one and when you are sure the old one isn't being used then remove it.

~T~ · #3 (**permalink**) 01-10-2011, 08:24 PM

Thanks for the advice. The hog is coming and going as the stick was moved from the entrance and the other night it was in the food bowl early munching away when I looked out. It then exited into my neighbours garden so I took the opportunity to install the new hogitat with some hay from it's present one. I put some more food out and watched it come back, eat the food then go back into its box. This was about 21:30 would this be normal? The weather was very warm too (better than we had most of summer) I thought it would be out and about all night. It does look to have a slight eye injury too. It is an adult though not a huge hog.

Hedgehoggy · #4 (**permalink**) 03-10-2011, 11:09 PM

Hi ~T~, if the hog has a noticeable eye injury, it wouldn't harm to pick it up for a closer inspection. If you're at all concerned by your findings, whip it to your nearest hedgehog carer/wildlife hospital for assessment, and then stress you want it back for release into your garden if they need to keep it in for any treatment.