Back in July I posted a few photographs of a rather large hedgehog I spotted ambling through my garden in the post ‘Bird Murder‘; this was in an effort to lighten the rather gory nature of a bird of prey doing what birds of prey are supposed to do.

I suspected the hedgehog I had seen was female and possibly quite heavily pregnant. On 9th August I spotted a very small hedgehog scampering past my French windows. He had somehow managed to get down from the garden and onto the path that runs along the back of my bungalow. There is no way back on to the garden other than by means of two steps which, whilst easy enough for us, would be nigh on impossible for a hedgehog, let alone a baby one.

I could see that the hedgehog wanted to get back up into the garden; it was stretching its legs and toes up in a desperate attempt to reach the first step, but I could see it wasn’t going to happen, so I ran out to the garage, found my heavy duty gardening gloves, gently picked it up and place it down on the lawn. It rolled up into a prickly ball of course and remained stock still for some time, but then moved off towards the apple trees.

As I watched it I noticed another baby hedgehog running up and down behind the apple trees, stopping to have a good sniff of the ground along the way. I could not believe it: twins! In all this time I was so captivated it did not enter my head to get the camera and tripod set up – but I’m glad I did. Once set up and at a safe distance I was able to get the snaps shown here. It was only then I noticed there was a third baby, but this one did not move very much and I took it to be perhaps rather weak.

I left a dish of water out for them and wondered where there mother was; I had not seen here for three weeks and have not seen her since. I saw the babies on three separate days after that first day, but only two of them, and always in the same general area at about the same time of day. I’ve not seen them since but I hope they are OK. They are adorable creatures.