Meeting a hedgehog in the city was a miracle ten years ago. A forest creature, spiky and cautious, in the concrete jungle? Now look at the news: a hedgehog was spotted near the Botanical Garden metro station in Moscow, and on the lawn near a residential complex in St. Petersburg. In Berlin and Vienna, hedgehogs have long become part of the urban fauna, like pigeons, only cuter. What's happening? Why is the hedgehog heading to the city, and how does it survive there? And most importantly, are we doing it harm with our love? The City as a New Forest It seems that the city has no place for a hedgehog. Cars, asphalt, crowds of people, it's as bright at night as during the day. But the modern metropolis paradoxically resembles a hedgehog's natural habitat. Firstly, the private sector and new residential complexes leave green areas. Parks, squares, vacant lots, railway embankments - all these are pieces of wild nature. Secondly, there are no large wild predators in the city - no foxes, wolves, or owls. The main enemy of the hedgehog, the badger, does not live in the city. There are only dogs and cats, but the hedgehog can deal with them by rolling into a ball. Thirdly, it's warm and there's plenty of food in the city. In trash cans, dog bowls, under bird feeders - there's plenty of easy food. And this is a feast for an omnivorous hedgehog. Therefore, the urbanization of hedgehogs is a global trend. For example, in London, there are more urban hedgehogs than rural ones. In Berlin, there are up to eight hedgehogs per square kilometer in the Tiergarten park. In Moscow, there is no exact statistics, but zoologists say that encounters have increased by 3-4 times in the last five years. What Distinguishes the Urban Hedgehog from the Forest One There are many differences. The forest hedgehog is shy, almost never comes out to meet humans. The urban one is accustomed to people. It can calmly cross the road under the streetlight without hiding. It can approach the door of a café wh ... Read more