THE HUMBLE HOG

I have been fortunate enough to have watched jaguars in Belize, gorillas in Uganda, lynx in Spain, lions in Botswana, tigers in Madhya Pradesh, Tasmania devils in Australia, but my interest in mammals was first sparked by encounters with the humble hedgehog in my parents’ garden. I found them fascinating, for although you could approach them closely, they would simply roll into a spiky ball. To learn anything about them, you had to stand back and wait for them to uncurl, something that took a lot of patience for a five-year-old. It was, however, a good lesson, as watching anywild mammal requires perseverance, together with a dose of luck.

Sadly, luck will not help many of today’s children enjoy similar prickly encounters as mine. The hedgehog, one of our most widely distributed native mammals, has disappeared from many of its former strongholds, including suburban gardens.

In 1950, the British population was estimated at more than 30 million individuals. Today, it is believed to have plummeted to less than one million.magazine conducted a survey of its readers to discover how many had seen a hedgehog in their garden during 2016. Some 2,600 people took part, of which 51% responded negatively, while just 12% reported seeing one regularly.