Monday, August 03, 2009

A prickly customer

Back in the UK and returning to our current base from town one night last week we saw this guy wandering across the road. This is the first hedgehog I can remember seeing alive on a road (as opposed to lots and lots of dead ones) so we stopped and I lifted him across the road to his intended destination (if you woke up to find a hedgehog tucked behind your front garden wall that may have been me). Obviously he balled up as they do meaning photo opportunities were a bit rubbish:

hog

Some points to note if you find yourself in a similar position:
a) hedgehogs really are spiky - barehanding (as the americans would say) one will hurt.
b) stopping in the road at night can be dangerous so show a bit of caution and commonsense before stopping.
c) hedgehogs generally are flea-infested filthy little horrors capable of passing on a variety of nastiness to you. If you do move one by bare hand make sure you wash up carefully but if you can avoid touching the 'orrible little varmints do.

2 comments:

R.Powers said...

Looks like a sea urchin to me!

tai haku said...

It does! I really want a photo of an uncurled one but they are rather skittish especially in the middle of roads.