Forum Topic

Putney Hedgehogs

A few years ago we regularly had visits from hedgehogs to eat the food that we left out for them in our garden in East Putney (and the occasional fox who wasn't sly enough to entry the feeding box). However, when the Putney Plaza development began that seemed to disturb them and we haven't see them since then. I've heard reports of the being spotted in West Putney, just wondered what sightings, if any there had been recently.https://www.flickr.com/gp/m-j-i/i347yF

Michael Ixer ● 2685d11 Comments

Fantastic photos Michael. 👏 They are such enchanting animals and Hedgie looking straight up at the camera is adorable.❤️ I hope they return to your garden soon to keep the slug population under control. xx

Sue Hammond ● 2685d

I live in East Putney and this week slept out in my back garden ( to try out a new tent). During the night I was woken by hedgehogs. I didn't see them but I have seen them before and they make a particular chewing noise, kind of like a toothless geriatric with a wine gum. Nice to know that they are still around.

Bill Christie ● 2685d

Thanks, Sue: they're fascinating creatures. Bill, good to hear they're still around.

Michael Ixer ● 2685d

Yes.A couple of days ago..  Eats beside my 2 foxes,parent plus cub same place but no feeder boxes,nightly.  Hedgehogs not as regular.Foxes down to the ten minute to the hour regularity. With cat. Very harmonious. No problems at all

Barbara Shillabeer ● 2685d

A couple of months ago a headgehog "support group" had a stall one Saturday in Putney Exchange, with leaflets advising how to attract and look after hedgehogs. I think they were suggesting cutting holes in fences so they  could travel from garden to garden.I'm not sure if the group is based around Dover House and, if so, whether the Roehampton Garden Society would have any info.When I was growing up in Devon there was a large Devonshire hedge at the end of the garden and there were hedgehogs. I'd love to have some here, but I've never seen any locally.

Elizabeth Balsom ● 2685d

Some time in the late 1980s, we had a hedgehog regularly visiting our garden, so much that our daughters designed (with a little parental help) a survey which we distributed in our road and the neighbouring one. We got enough results back to see that the hedgehog was making a round of visits every evening, ending at a German couple down the road who fed it on luxury cat food.One hot evening we'd left the back door open and it invited itself in, and I had to use an oven glove to pick it up to return it to the garden. I have photos of it somewhere, I'll try to look them out.

Richard Carter ● 2685d

How wonderful!  Lucky you. xx

Sue Hammond ● 2685d

Actually, I've been corrected: the German couple gave it nothing so common as mere cat food, but high quality pâté, as a result of which it seems to have turned its nose (snout?) up at our offerings and didn't appear in our garden much again.

Richard Carter ● 2685d

Ha ha, Richard, those Germans 🙂. We first noticed we had 'hogs when my wife heard something in the kitchen and noticed one had wandered in to eat some cat food our cats had left (it was a hot summer evening so we'd left the back door open).  It scurried off when it noticed it had been observed. After that we started putting out food in the garden for them, eventually in proper 'hog boxes so the foxes couldn't steal it. Sadly, as I said before, they relocated when the Putney Plaza construction work started.

Michael Ixer ● 2685d

We get at least one hog visit most nights. We are near the Dover House Road area. Our lure is cat food (the meat stuff, not the fish) and Spike's hedgehog food, as well as plenty of water. Don't leave out milk as it doesn't agree with hedgehogs.They come in through the dilapidated fence at the back and spend a good few hours in the garden. We have a motion activated night vision camera that we put out in order to see what night time visitors come calling. We've recently started getting a young female fox polishing off any food the hedgehogs leave behind.There is a Facebook group called SW15 Hedgehogs, run by Jackie. Jackie is amazing and dedicates so much time to helping these little prickly fellows; that's probably who Elizabeth saw in the Exchange with the hedgehog stall.If you find a hedgehog in distress, Putney RSPCA takes in poorly hedgehogs.

Carl Broadley ● 2683d

I just found the leaflet I picked up from the stall in the Exchange. "Hedgehog Street, City of Wildlife" It has tips on how to help hedgehogsIt lists two organisations:People's Trust for Endangered Species wwww.ptes.orgenquiries @ptes.orgBritish Hedgehog Preseration Society  www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk  info@britishhedgehogs.org.ukIf it was Jackie manning the stall, she was very helpful and encouraging.

Elizabeth Balsom ● 2681d