Our Wildlife, please spare a thought

[Selina27]

Are there any population control measures in place for badgers?

I might be entering dangerous territory here, it is an emotive subject, badgers became protected in the UK some decades ago and have thrived, some say to the detriment of other species. They are also deemed to be partially responsible for the spread of TB in cattle, and thereby causing difficulties for the livestock industry, and are questionably subject to culling orders in some parts of the country.
Like I say, emotive territory, passions run high on all sides.

 

[Jen]

Oh I love hedgehogs and badgers and foxes!

We live near a nature reserve and we see a lot of foxes. Stanley also enjoys rolling in their

I know they can do a bit of damage but they always remind me of watching animals of farthing wood as a child. Although looking back that was one sinister programme!

 

[Charlie]

We had chickens and ducks for years but we didn't see a single hedgehog in our garden and haven't for many years now. I thought they were good for the garden, eating slugs etc. x

 

[Selina27]

I thought they were good for the garden, eating slugs etc. x

Yes, I'd say that is the case. I didn't know we had one coming back again, until Cassie let me know. I'm sure Charlie would find one if it was in your garden, but I wonder just how many are still about, just because we don't see them doesn't mean they are not there!
Yesterday, on a walk, Cass suddenly leapt about 8 ft off the path and stood there staring into the undergrowth, after several minutes of peering through very thick grass etc I saw a huge hedgehog curled up, never in a month of Sundays would a human have known it was there. Makes you realise how vulnerable they are to strimmers and mowers etc though.

 

[Charlie]

I haven't even seen, dare I say it, one that had met it's untimely death on the roads I used to see them all the time in our garden, I rescued a few from potentially awful situations, have taken one to the vet but now absolutely nothing. I think they are in real danger, no garden holes to get through, pesticides plus a lot of other problems. I think it's such a shame

@Jen when I was out with Hattie very early the other morning, about 20 meters away we saw a fox with two cubs, we just stood and watched them before they dashed into the crop. Very special x

 

[Natalie]

This is the last hedgehog we saw in our garden a few years ago. Minding our business on a warm evening and this big lad wanders in

 

[Charlie]

So cute, lucky you Natalie xx

 

[HAH]

Brilliant suggestions, thanks @Mr Beanwood I used to get stung most summers when growing up (not sure what I was doing, lots of barefoot grass playing I guess!) so never really minded bee stings, but several in a short space might be a different matter so something to get used to I've done a bit of reading into bees and beekeping and there are some good courses nearby - the beekeeping monks at Buckfast Abbey are fairly near - so that's the next plan. Won't be a for a few months but I'll keep you posted!

 

[HAH]

[Sorry for the odd formatting, don't know what I did there - bit of cut & paste shenanigans ]

 

[SwampDonkey]

Not a popular one or scientific founded one. Keep off the subject of badgers and brexit it's too dangerous

 

[SwampDonkey]

The problem with introduced species is they tend to destroy the habitat of and eat the previous occupants. It's not the hedgehogs it's not the rats it us bad monkeys we upset the balance we introduce stuff which doesn't belong though our arrogance, because we want it so. There used to be a lot more flightless birds on new Zealand but they disappeared when the most wasteful appex predator man arrived. I would have loved to see a Moa, can you imagine a bird that big.

 

[Selina27]

Keep off the subject of badger

Suitably balanced, I hope my post was @Xena Dog Princess likes to know these things

 

[Natalie]

The problem with introduced species is they tend to destroy the habitat of and eat the previous occupants. It's not the hedgehogs it's not the rats it us bad monkeys we upset the balance we introduce stuff which doesn't belong though our arrogance, because we want it so. There used to be a lot more flightless birds on new Zealand but they disappeared when the most wasteful appex predator man arrived. I would have loved to see a Moa, can you imagine a bird that big.

Too flippin right. The human species is pretty awful at times if you stop and think about it. Even the most annoying of pests are just doing their pesty thing.

 

[SwampDonkey]

I do wonder if we dislike some predators because they remind us of us.

 

[Natalie]

Ohh I forgot. A house round the corner is a hedgehog rescue sanctuary, we went to one of their fundraising events last month.
They help both British hedgehogs who have been injured, but also more exotic albino types from somewhere hot (sorry that's a bit vague) who have to be kept at 25degrees c all year round. I think she tried to sell one to OH??

There's some photos here of super cute baby ones and the albino variety. I assume this is ok to post, they don't obviously appear to be fundraising..

Les Monts Hedgehog Rescue - Nuneaton, Warwickshire

Sorry @xenadogprincess probably best you don't look ?

 

[Xena Dog Princess]

Heh it's ok, I'm not militant about hedgehogs, it's just very interesting to read about the different attitudes to the same animal across different countries. Possums are predator #1 here, but in Australia I remember @Oberon had a nesting box for them in her backyard? Totally foreign concept to me.

@SwampDonkey oh the moa! Amazing that it wasn't even the Europeans who hunted that to extinction but early Maori. The moa replica at the national museum is a sight to behold.

 

[SwampDonkey]

They would eat us dam big birds

 

[Boogie]

My friend runs a hedgehog rescue in our town ??

 

[Charlie]

Fantastic, do you visit Mags? x

 

[Boogie]

Fantastic, do you visit Mags? x

Yes, they do talks in school etc too.

?