Saturday, March 9, 2013

Shmulikipod?*

.
(You can enlarge the photos with one click and then another.)

Oh poor little hedgehog, he lost his head!


I was returning from my Sabbath walk on this path in the wilderness just an hour ago, lamenting that I had found no animals to post for today's Camera Critters meme. 


Just then the little kipod and his severed head in the grass caught my eye.
With a stick I rolled him onto the path and saw it was a fresh kill. 
The grass was trampled down for about a meter around him.
There must have been a struggle.
Actually, I had noticed a hawk flying off as I was coming up the path . . . 

It was getting dark.  I said a few funeral-type words, told the hedgehog to go in peace, walked on, and hoped the hawk would at least return to finish its dinner.
.

10 comments:

  1. *The title of my post refers to

    "the eternally classic Israeli children's book "Shmulikipod." A sick boy laments that he has no one for company but the donkeys on his pajamas. Relief comes in the form of a visit from a somewhat short-tempered hedgehog (Hebr. "kipod") named Shmulik. After a few messy misadventures that never leave the playpen, Shmulik flees; the book concludes, "And Shmulikipod walked, and walked, and walked, and walked ...."

    (source: Wiki on author T. Carmi)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hawks have really good eyes to spot these creatures amid the grass...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh goodness, he actually lost his head! I thought you were just going to say that it was hidden when he curled up. Poor little Shmulik, no more walking for him :(.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Poor little guy. Good post. I didn't know you had hedgehogs in Israel. I also hope the hawk comes back.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Tapirgal, I knew we had hedgehogs because they are in my Mammals of Israel pocket guide, but today was the first time I ever saw one!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Poor little..ugh
    You got a post, I hope the hawk will be back
    Happy Sunday Dina:-)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Poor little..ugh,
    have a nice day!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Poor little guy! I rescued a hedghehog when I was a kid, took him home and he lived in our yard for years. Now and then he built a new house made of dead leaves. He was so active at night that we could hear him running in the lawn. His favourite diet was apples and, when he got used to us, my sister and I hand-feeded him. What a sweet creature he was!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Poor little hedgehog! I come across some deceased animals in my yard now and then - mostly possums, it seems like - and it always makes me sad.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Sad for the little creature but the hawk must eat too. I hope he gets his meal.

    ReplyDelete


Thanks for your comment!
Comment moderation is on so I will see any new comments even on older posts!