This little fella was found alive and well in a live capture squirrel trap. After filling his belly with peanuts and perhaps a little confused as to how he got there, we released him into the undergrowth. This is why we check our live capture traps everyday. Its important that we do not cause animals to suffer unduly. We do our best to make sure non target species are not affected by essential pest control measures.

Did you know that the Western European hedgehog (scientific name Erinaceus europaeus) is one of about 17 hedgehog species worldwide and unmistakable as Britain’s only spiny mammal. Their highly specialised coat contains around 6,000 creamy-brown spines and hangs around their body in a loose-ish ‘skirt’, concealing greyish fur on their underside, surprisingly long legs and a short tail.

There is wonderful local charity at Shepreth that takes in injured hedgehogs and rehabilitate and return to the wild. http://www.swccharity.org/hedgehog-hospital/