Hedgehogs as Britain's national Symbol

jonbeeza

jonbeeza

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MP Oliver Colvile has said Hedgehogs should be awarded with the status of becoming Britain’s national animal. How often do we see a Hedgehog? We are supposed to be a nation of Dog lovers, so surely a Dog would be a better symbol. But what kind of Dog? Not an English Bulldog, as that is a little too obvious.
 
I think he probably means wild animal. So dog, hamster, cat(excluding scottish wild cat(but that's not Britain, only Scotland)), guinea pig, tortoise etc not really in the running.
Hedgehog not a bad call really. Lots of the deer are probably imports, badgers, well we keep killing them so would be a bit embarassing, doesn't leave a lot to choose from.
 
DorsetDude said:
I think he probably means wild animal. So dog, hamster, cat ...(excluding scottish wild cat(but that's not Britain, only Scotland)), guinea pig, tortoise etc not really in the running.
Hedgehog not a bad call really. Lots of the deer are probably imports, badgers, well we keep killing them so would be a bit embarassing, doesn't leave a lot to choose from.
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Not so sure, as it was also said " The Kiwi was the National symbol for new Zealand etc, so Britain could use Hedgehog as its symbol " so I do think it just might have been specific to the Hedgehog, could be wrong though.
 
I love hedgehogs and see quite a lot where I live, I am up for that.
I regular have to swerve around them on the cycle track maybe some high viz vests for them.
 
Horrible flea infested things. National animal? Joke!!!!
 
Yup!!
 
Mr Bump said:
I love hedgehogs and see quite a lot where I live, I am up for that.
I regular have to swerve around them on the cycle track maybe some high viz vests for them.
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You just don't want to puncture your tyres! :D

Why not, along with the Robin & Wren, would be good choices.
 
Precious few wild red squirrels in England. Badger would get my vote.
 
Have a pair of hedgehogs living in a hedgehog house in the bamboo in my garden.
They have 2 babies each year :-)
Hedgehog fleas have the good grace to live only on hedgehogs and will not infest dogs or cats (plus, no, they don't all have them).
They keep the garden slug-free! :-)
I think they're a good choice.
 
viv1969 said:
Have a pair of hedgehogs living in a hedgehog house in the bamboo in my garden.
They have 2 babies each year :)
Hedgehog fleas have the good grace to live only on hedgehogs and will not infest dogs or cats (plus, no, they don't all have them).
They keep the garden slug-free! :)
I think they're a good choice.
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Had a Hedgehog that would visit our back garden when I was a kid, used to give it bread and milk. it stopped visiting after a little while, probably got better fed elsewhere. I am sure I read some place, Hedgehogs like Cat food..
 
I don't put anything out for them which may explain why they have never moved into my hog house. We do have them here though.
 
jonbeeza said:
Had a Hedgehog that would visit our back garden when I was a kid, used to give it bread and milk. it stopped visiting after a little while, probably got better fed elsewhere. I am sure I read some place, Hedgehogs like Cat food..
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Sorry to say it may have died.
Cows milk can destroy their digestive system :(
 
jonbeeza said:
Surely the Robin has to way up there, as an obvious choice :)
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I thought there was recently a national "survey" type affair to find the nations favourite bird, to make it official?
 
Julie1979 said:
I don't put anything out for them which may explain why they have never moved into my hog house. We do have them here though.
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I've never fed mine. Enough around for them to feast on :-)
 
viv1969 said:
Sorry to say it may have died.
Cows milk can destroy their digestive system :(
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:eek:

I was only ten at the time, or was it eleven hope I did not do him / her any harm. Friendly little thing it was, it would scratch on the back door and I would come out and feed it :)
 
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What about the fox? Think id prefer that to a hedgepig...
 
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viv1969 said:
I've never fed mine. Enough around for them to feast on :)
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Do they live in the box year round or just to hibernate? I'd never actually feed them as it would probably just attract the farm cats into our garden. I have loads of slugs too. Would be great to have some resident hogs. I've thought of applying to have rescues released in our garden because we are pretty rural and a decent distance from main road.
 
Nikon_Nick said:
What about the fox? Think id prefer that to a hedgepig...
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I think a certain section of the community would defiantly not like that, I am so easy going I would be happy with a mucky pig :rolleyes:
 
viv1969 said:
I thought there was recently a national "survey" type affair to find the nations favourite bird, to make it official?
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Yes I think the nation was England tho rather than Britain. England have the robin, Sweaties have the Golden Eagle I believe, not sure about the taffs and micks.

Fox is a fairly common animal for the choice. Although in a vote I suspect hedgey would win.
 
Julie1979 said:
Do they live in the box year round or just to hibernate? I'd never actually feed them as it would probably just attract the farm cats into our garden. I have loads of slugs too. Would be great to have some resident hogs. I've thought of applying to have rescues released in our garden because we are pretty rural and a decent distance from main road.
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They definitely use the house all year, although right now they're dragging tons of leaf material and bark chips in there for the winter.
They're active a bit later this year, presumably because it's milder.
 
StewartR said:
I think it would be hard to justify adopting an animal which is hunted on an institutional basis. Or culled either, badger fans.
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Tend to agree, once you've ruled out the stuff we hunt, kill or cull there's only the hedehog left. (Talking mammals here obviously.)
 
Oh I don't know. ...
Otter?
Dormouse?
 
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