A hedgehog, taken care of this winter by the Erinaceus association, is released into the wild this Sunday, March 19 in France. And this week, the prickly little mammal had to undergo a medical examination.
By the time you read these lines, Joey will no doubt be discovering his new playground, somewhere in the Normandy countryside. Joey, “like Joey Starr”is a hedgehog, found by a policeman at the beginning of autumn, when he was only a baby weighing barely a few grams, entrusted to the association all winter Erinaceusthe scientific name of the European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus).
But before being freed, this Sunday, on the eve of spring, Joey has to undergo a little medical examination, to check that everything is fine, and Joey is not happy. The prickly little mammal huffs and growls on the examination table of a veterinary clinic in Paris. “ I’m going to try to feel his stomach anyway… Ah, I think he’s a little nervous! “says veterinarian Mélanie Coquelle.
If you go looking for trouble you’ll find it
It’s cute, a hedgehog, but behind its small pointed muzzle hide fearsome canines. The hedgehog also has claws and of course quills, which the hedgehog bristles, to protect itself from predators. “ At birth, the quills are under the skin. They will appear a few… Ouch! Manuel de Aguirre, the president of Erinaceus, who was holding Joey in his hands, breaks off in pain – he will end the session with his hands completely scratched – before continuing: “The quills will come out two or three years after birth. Spikes work great! Even the cats don’t dare approach. I have videos of a hedgehog running a cat because it’s bristling. Hedgehogs feel protected from everything, even cars! »
A very solitary animal
Cars are one of the hedgehog’s enemies, along with pesticides, which poison the insects on which this small mammal feeds, which also eats snails and fruit.
The species in France is protected, but not threatened. If it is useful to gardeners, it is useless to want to tame it. It is a very solitary animal. “ He does not support man as a partner. He can’t even stand his peers. Having a hedgehog like many do by taking it from the wild to make it a pet is a very bad thing for him, it’s animal abuse. »
Joey’s doctor’s visit is coming to an end, and he’s not unhappy. “ I was just looking at the penis area, the anus, to check that everything is clean “, describes Mélanie Coquelle. ” He has very big testicles “Says Manuel de Aguirre. ” Oui », confirms the veterinarian with a smile, « that’s what I was looking for! »« At this time of year, coming out of hibernation, the male reproductive system can weigh up to 10% of its weight., specifies the president of Erinaceus. The mating season begins and doubt is no longer allowed: Joey is ready!
“What if Emmanuel Macron was an animal? »
He would certainly not be a buffalo, according to the typology established by the curator of Sidney Zoo, Erna Walraven. His book Who is the boss ? compares management in humans and other animals. Among African buffaloes, there is a leader, but in the group, everyone’s opinion is taken into account. Emmanuel Macron, he would be closer to the gorilla: a dominant male, obviously, at the top of the hierarchy, authoritarian, who decides everything, all alone. But today, the gorilla is in the mist.