The hedgehog is one of the most recognizable inhabitants of the wild in Latvia. It feels comfortable near people in rural areas and cities. Even in a densely populated place like Riga, hedgehogs can be encountered quite often. The Latvian television program 4. studija found out from specialists: although the hedgehog is a frequent guest in urban yards, it is not recommended to feed them.
“In Purvciems on Unijas Street, between Kastranes and Stirnu Streets, there are a lot of hedgehogs. I would like to know when they go to sleep? We feed them, and they know what time to come for food in the evening,” a viewer addressed to “4th Studio.”
As explained by Inta Lange, head of the communications department of the Latvian National Museum of Nature, hedgehogs really like to live near humans because they can find everything they need nearby — there are gardens and parks. This means there are also places to hide, set up a burrow, and find food. “We usually refer to wild animals as forest animals, but a hedgehog does not live in a pure forest — it has nothing to do there,” noted Lange.
She also mentioned that there are indeed many hedgehogs in Riga; they can be found everywhere. Hedgehogs like to walk along human dwellings because cats are often fed there, and they really enjoy cat food. It turns out that fish is a special treat for hedgehogs. Hedgehogs are omnivorous but mainly feed on invertebrates — beetles, larvae, snails, worms, and spiders. They also eat fruits and small vertebrates, but if a person wants to feed a hedgehog, it should be done carefully and responsibly.
“I believe that wild animals should not be fed because they know how to find food themselves. If we start feeding them, the animals begin to come and wait for food, and they no longer go about their daily activities,” says the representative of the Nature Museum. “I would like to urge a critical assessment of what to give [to the hedgehog] and what not to. Of course, it would be best to feed raw meat, but under no circumstances should food waste or, say, milk be given. The hedgehog feels unwell afterward — it has a stomach ache. It can be said that hedgehogs are lactose intolerant. This can result in very severe diarrhea and even death.”
As long as a hedgehog can find food, it does not enter hibernation, but as soon as finding food becomes more difficult, it begins to prepare for a long sleep. “Scientists have found that the actual time for hibernation [for the hedgehog] is the end of October, beginning of November, but this greatly depends on climatic conditions,” Lange reported.
Leave a comment