Down at the far end of the garden several days ago he found a dead adult hedgehog just lying out on the grass. Then the day before yesterday he found another one in almost the same place. Yesterday evening, as he was surveying our storm- damaged driveway he found a dead rabbit lying there, right in the middle, in broad daylight, so to speak. Its body was still warm when he went to remove it.
At first we wondered if they had all been poisoned somehow, but surely they don't eat the same things?
As we were eating supper he looked out of the kitchen window and saw an adult hedgehog waddling around up the drive. It is unusual to see them out and about during daylight hours.
I really hope we don't find its body lying sonewhere tomorrow.
How very sad. Those creatures should be thriving at this time of year. Could it be connected with slug pellets?
ReplyDeleteThat's what we thought about the hedgehogs but not sure about the rabbit. We wondered whether any of our neighbours had been putting out rodent poison.
DeleteConsider taking revenge by putting out some neighbour pellets.
DeleteFired from the hip.
DeleteThose green snail/slug pellets came to miy mind as well. Had a little look online and seemingly hedgehogs as well as rabbits have a liking for them.
ReplyDeleteWe don't use them so it must be one of our neighbours. Damn.
DeleteI saw three birds on the side of the road on my walk. At first I blamed cars but now I'm thinking thunder and heavy showery down pours?
ReplyDeletePoor little things. Some of the young fledlings must have suffered in the storm.
DeletePoor creatures. We had an offering of a big , thankfully dead, rat on our doorstep this morning. Not a nice sight at any time, worse before coffee. I did put out a handful of whiskers for the house wild cat. He did a good job, just has to be trained to leave it much further away
ReplyDeleteEewww….
DeleteThe hedgehogs in our garden seem to have abandoned us since the hot dry weather last month. I hope they've just gone further afield.
ReplyDeleteDo they have access to water nearby?
DeleteProbably, but we always put water out for the birds so they may have left to look for food.
DeleteI think most areas have a vet practice that takes on hedgehogs - if you keep finding dead ones it might be worth getting in touch to see if they would do an autopsy or something - hedgehogs are an endangered species - it is to be hoped they are not being poisoned.
ReplyDeleteFrom the previous comments it may well be slug pellets that are to blame. It is something quite new in our location and, if so, I am not sure how we can stop our most recent neighbours from using them.
DeleteOh I hope it's not some awful disease but it seems strange that different animals are affected; I did think about slug pellets, too?
ReplyDeletexxx