Britain’s Most Loved Mammal (European hedgehog)

September 25, 2019 11:08 AM

British Wildlife Photography Awards 2019 winners [The Guardian]
posted by readinghippo (14 comments total)

I went to the gym the other day, and one of the employees there had brought in her pet hedgehog. Not only that, but she was letting members hold her hedgehog! I never imagined that hedgehogs would just let strangers cuddle them and not get all super-prickly or whatever. I didn't have time to stick around and experience the majesty of it, but I just wanted to let you all know that hedgehogs in person are great, and don't pass up the opportunity to meet one.
posted by Phredward at 12:14 PM on September 25, 2019 [4 favorites]

They were a traditional childhood pet in Scotland when my parents were kids there, invariably named "Hamish". Not sure how close that was to reality as opposed to the sort of thing that was in kids books, but it was a commonplace.
posted by Quindar Beep at 12:34 PM on September 25, 2019 [1 favorite]

who amongst us has not wished to live in a tiny cottage in the lake district
posted by poffin boffin at 12:38 PM on September 25, 2019 [14 favorites]

It's Spiny Norman and he's wandering the streets of London looking for Dinsdale!
posted by Rob Rockets at 1:05 PM on September 25, 2019 [3 favorites]

Came for the MP reference, left satisfied!
posted by Greg_Ace at 1:19 PM on September 25, 2019 [1 favorite]

Yonil!
posted by Pastor of Muppets at 2:39 PM on September 25, 2019

Hedgehogs: Why can't they just share the hedge?
posted by Quackles at 3:11 PM on September 25, 2019 [5 favorites]

Hedge Piggys!!
posted by BlueHorse at 3:43 PM on September 25, 2019

British Hedgehogs are having a terrible time of it these days. But there are things that one can do to help. Holes in fences and walls is super important to helping the UK maintain even the fraction of the hedgehog population it had a half-century ago.
posted by hippybear at 8:33 PM on September 25, 2019 [2 favorites]

Not everyone in the UK loves hedgehogs.
posted by mbrubeck at 9:10 PM on September 25, 2019 [3 favorites]

Got really worried at the (hopefully) unconscious Hedgehog but like to think the last picture is them back in the leaves living a healthy hedgey life.

I live right next to a huge park in a very leafy area of the UK and I've not seen a hedgehog since I was about 10, which is sad. I keep seeing rarer and rarer animals since I've lived in this area - foxes, nuthatches, chaffinches, even a kingfisher- but no hedgehogs. They're on my list of animals to see in the wild here along with badgers but I doubt I'll see the latter near here at the best of times.
posted by Chaffinch at 12:35 AM on September 26, 2019

My cats found a hedgehog in our back garden a few weeks ago. I saw them staring at it in a baffled way, the 'let me play with this OUCH!' part having presumably occurred a few minutes before. It unrolled and wandered insouciantly off, and the cats decided it had never happened.
posted by Pentickle at 2:30 PM on September 26, 2019

I may have bad news for you, Chaffinch. According to my brother, since he moved to Somerset a couple of years ago, he has seen plenty of local wildlife including badgers and foxes, but no hedgehogs, and this is because the badgers eat the hedgehogs. Mind you, he said this as part of a rant about the need for badger culling, so it may not be entirely reliable.
posted by Fuchsoid at 3:47 PM on September 26, 2019

What lovely categories. So British!
-Coast and marine England
-Coast and marine Northern Ireland and coast of Ireland category
-Coast and marine Wales category (Ironically, not a whale)
-Hidden Britain category
-Habitat category
-British seasons category

Much better than 'Best photo'
posted by Phreesh at 2:56 PM on September 27, 2019 [1 favorite]