Foxes do kill and maim hedgehogs-part 2

Foxes are a major reason for the hedgehog decline

We all repeat mechanically and hide behind the no-longer-true cliché "Let nature take its course". We altered this course a long time ago. By doing so we gave some species the upper hand. We encouraged and helped them thrive to the detriment of others whom we are now condemning to death and extinction. Equally sad is that we refuse to do the right thing by trying to redress the balance.

We drove the wildlife out of the countryside by building on it.

Hedgehogs come high on the long list of victims of our interfering and it won't be long until they are completely wiped out. Some estimates say that within 10 years there will be no more hedgehogs. When that time comes many of us will feel guilty for not having done more to protect their fragile existence. For not jumping to their defence and for not giving them help when they needed it most. But by that time it will be too late because the hedgehog will have lost the battle to survive. In hindsight we will realise that it wouldn't have taken too much time and effort.

In spite of all efforts, the numbers of hedgehogs are still dropping. The big picture does not look good for them.

We stand and watch and do nothing. We lack the will and the honesty to admit there is a problem, and the courage to solve it.

Foxes do not need special protection or help and encouragement to survive. On the contrary, they thrive and flourish in our urban environment. Hedgehogs do not, they cannot, and that is why they are not the winners. We have already upset the natural balance to such a degree that it will never recover. The conditions we have created are beneficial to foxes and detrimental to hedgehogs.

In normal situations when a predator moves into the area, the first defence of the prey is to move away. That can't happen with hedgehogs. They have nowhere to go. We build artificial barriers to stop them moving. Walls and fences block them. They are trapped and slaughtered one by one

We cannot ignore this problem anymore. We cannot continue to allow the totally out of control, excessive numbers of urban foxes to completely decimate this dying species. This is a conservational crime.

We must give hedgehogs a helping hand, there are so few of them left now

Our experiences have shown that the incidence of both back legs being damaged is more prevalent (much higher) in juvenile or smaller hedgehogs weighing under about 500 grams. This is because their legs are much closer together, making it much easier for the fox to grab hold of both back legs at the same time. Almost all the juveniles have had either both back legs bitten off completely or one leg ripped and the other one broken.

An adult or larger hedgehog weighing over about 650 grams, with legs much wider apart, tends to have only one damaged or bitten off leg.

Take a look at these photographs

**Click on any picture for a full size photo**

These show the shape and outline of a hedgehog back leg and I have pointed out the hock joint ( sort of a cross between the knee & and ankle )

See how the hock joint sticks out behind it when the hedgehog walks and how easy it is for a fox with its long pointed snout to grab the leg & crush or break the bone

I have mainly used pictures of babies because they are easier to photograph, but the principle is the same. The bottom picture shows an adult hedgehog walking and how the hock sticks out and is not protected by its spines

hedgehog showing how the hock joint sticks out behind when it waks

picture of hedeghog walking showing how the hock sticks out

X-ray of a hedgehog with this sort of injury ( This one came from Chingford about 5 miles from me)

Xray of a hedgehog with a broken leg after being bitten by a fox

Another hedgehog I picked up in Abridge ( 18th August 2008) about 4 miles away. See the broken bone sticking through the skin & gash on the hock joint.

These are exactly the injuries we have been seeing since we started and hadn't been able to explain them or how they were being caused. It was only when the fox attacked the ones in my enclosed garden and the injuries were identical that we had the answer and realized that foxes were responsible all along.

Another victim of a fox attack

Picked up from Barkingside (Ilford) 7 miles away from me at 8.30 pm 21st August 2008. Female about 550 g, about 4 months old. Left back leg has a bite wound into joint and is broken. The other leg was completely shattered
The 2 pictures show it under anaesthetic at the veterinary hospital just before the vet put it down.

Yet Another victim

Found 2nd September 2008 at 7pm at Whipps Cross Hospital in Leytonstone about 8 miles away

A juvenile female about 250g
She was seen dragging herself across the car park
Pictures taken at vet while under anaesthetic just before she was put down
The wounds smelled horrendously. The vet was appalled by the suffering she had gone through before being found and said the injuries were at least 4 or 5 days old

And another one

This small female weighing just over 250 grams was found on some allotments in Harlow ( 14 miles away) at about 2pm on 9th September 2008. She has a badly crushed jaw, covered in fly eggs and one back leg bitten off. The other back leg was broken. She could hardly breath and was squealing in pain. Most of the pictures were taken just after she was euthanised

$Another fox injury- a juvenile hedeghog wth fractured jaw, 1 broken back leg and other back leg bitten off$

Yet another victim.

These photos were sent to me by a carer in Northumberland and proves that this is happening all over the country. These were taken on 8th September 2008, shortly before his vet had to put it down

It is a juvenile male about 300 grams and has 1 back leg chopped and the other one injured

October 17th 2008

Female about 600g, front leg bitten off above elbow. Found in Cheshunt ( 9 miles away)
The woman says that foxes climb over her garage roof to get into garden & saw 3 of them on the roof the other day.

April 2nd 2008

Female 400g, back right leg bitten off and badly infected, strong smell of rot. Found Edmonton, London N9 (9 miles away). Euthanized

12 May 2009

Barkingside (6 miles away), male, left back leg bone sticking out of stump
Euthanized

25 May 2009

Barkingside, Female, Right back leg bitten off with infected stump. Bite wounds to chest with maggots crawling out.
Euthanized

4th July 2009

Female, Chigwell ( 3 miles), 700g right hind leg badly bitten and severely infected, bite wounds all under chest and absolutely crawling in maggots. The stench of rotting flesh was absolutely gagging
Euthanized

11 August 2009, Harlow ( 13 miles) Female 650g
Left back leg bitten off and a bad gash in middle of chest absolutely crawling in maggots and terrible stench of gangrene
Euthanised

Only a few of the reports and images are shown on this site, you can read more and see more images HERE

I have passed on all my findings to several hedgehog researchers who are studying the hedgehog decline.
I am going to document every case I come across as evidence for statistical purposes. So that in the very near future when there are no more hedgehogs, no one can say " we didn't know about the problem..... had we known... we would have done something." Now everybody knows.

Look HERE to see how very different the injuries caused by Strimmers & Lawnmowers are

See other photos HERE

Epping Forest Hedgehog Rescue

www.thehedgehog.co.uk

Foxes are a major reason for the hedgehog decline

Take a look at these photographs

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