Young Hedgehog

I found this beautiful little hedgehog outside my house on the pavement and about to cross the road. Now, that set up a bit of a dilemma in my mind: what should I do? On the one hand I appreciate that hedgehogs are wild animals and that we shouldn't interfere with the natural course of things too much, but on the other hand - and this was my immediate reaction - I thought "No, don't got that way, come to my garden and I'll give you some food."

I didn't like the idea of the hedgehog on the road where it might come to harm. Obviously, short of keeping it in a box there's no way I could keep it from such harm forever, but I very gently picked up the hedgehog and took it to my back garden where I gave it mealworms. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to want the mealworms and scurried away to the undergrowth. Well, at least for my own peace of mind it's safer in the environs of my garden and my neighbours' gardens than out the front on the asphalt and paving slabs and where there are cars.

I know you shouldn't interfere with hoglets - the really tiny little baby hogs - unless you really have to, but looking at this one it was a bit older than that, and was perhaps 20cm in length. From what I understand hedgehogs don't make particularly good parents and abandon their young to make their own way in the world at quite an early age. This little hog, I believe, would be such an example. There certainly were no other hedgehogs nearby - it was out on its own.

My rationale in bringing it into my garden was that it might make it realise that it was a good place to come for food and water. Let's hope it sticks around.