A man who “just wants to look after poor little hedgehogs” is trying to adopt one following footage of a badger attack.

Gordon Davies, who has just retired and lives in Rowan Road, Bicester, has had hedgehogs visiting and living in his garden for three years.  

Mr Davies made an effort to secure the garden so that only hedgehogs could enter, and has always left a bowl of water and some food for them.

He also set up a camera at the bottom of the garden to capture photos and video footage of the prickly critters.

However, one evening he sat down to watch some of the footage, and saw that he’d captured a badger eating one of the hedgehogs.

Mr Davies said: “I started watching the footage and well, it was just disgusting.

“For about two or three hours you could just hear this poor little hedgehog screaming.

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“Even my neighbour said he heard it.

“All I want to do is look after these poor little hedgehogs, I just don’t want them to be brutalised.

"I'm trying to find somewhere to adopt another one from."

Badgers are the hedgehog’s main predator in the UK, and whilst hedgehog numbers are in drastic decline, badger numbers have doubled since the 1980s.

Early studies have shown that where badgers are culled, hedgehog numbers bounce back quickly.

But the British Hedgehog Preservation Society is clear that badgers are not to blame for the plight of hedgehogs.

 

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This story was written by Matthew Norman, he joined the team in 2022 as a Facebook community reporter.

Matthew covers Bicester and focuses on finding stories from diverse communities.

Get in touch with him by emailing: Matthew.norman@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter: @OxMailMattN1

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