Fox and a hedgehog caught enjoying a midnight feast together
A fox and a hedgehog have become the most unlikely of friends after they were caught enjoying a midnight feast together.
The animals were filmed eating food on webcams set up by wildlife enthusiast Stu McKenzie, at his home in Malvern, Worcs.
Mr McKenzie, 48, said he expected to see the hedgehog as prey but was surprised to see them tucking into mealworms and dog food together.
He said: "They are just getting on with it.
It is quite surprising.
"I have seen them in the garden at the same time and the hedgehog normally rolls into a ball and the fox avoids it.
"But I have never seen them so close together feeding out of the same bowl.
It's a metal bowl and I put in dried mealworms and canned dog food.
"I strapped a trail camera to a tree in the garden like I've been doing for two months now to see what appears.
"I live close to the town centre of Malvern so I was surprised to see a hedgehog." The former BBC cameraman captured the adorable scenes after setting up the webcam in his garden overnight last Wednesday (3/6).
He added: "I went out in the morning, took in the camera and uploaded the card.
When I watched the film there it was.
"The camera starts recording for 30 seconds when there is motion.
A couple of times it was just the wind and then they were in shot.
"I couldn't believe the fox came up to the hedgehog and ate right next to it.
In footage I've got from a few weeks ago the fox stays well clear.
"I think foxes are opportunistic.
"I would imagine if a hedgehog was injured the fox would eat it if it could, but it probably knows it's not wise to try that with a healthy hedgehog." Wildlife experts suggest that foxes do not generally pose a threat to hedgehogs but there are rare incidents where foxes can prey on the spiky hedgehog.
Some foxes will wait for a hedgehog to unroll from its defensive ball, before taking a bite at it.
A fox and a hedgehog have become the most unlikely of friends after they were caught enjoying a midnight feast together.
The animals were filmed eating food on webcams set up by wildlife enthusiast Stu McKenzie, at his home in Malvern, Worcs.
Mr McKenzie, 48, said he expected to see the hedgehog as prey but was surprised to see them tucking into mealworms and dog food together.
He said: "They are just getting on with it.
It is quite surprising.
"I have seen them in the garden at the same time and the hedgehog normally rolls into a ball and the fox avoids it.
"But I have never seen them so close together feeding out of the same bowl.
It's a metal bowl and I put in dried mealworms and canned dog food.
"I strapped a trail camera to a tree in the garden like I've been doing for two months now to see what appears.
"I live close to the town centre of Malvern so I was surprised to see a hedgehog." The former BBC cameraman captured the adorable scenes after setting up the webcam in his garden overnight last Wednesday (3/6).
He added: "I went out in the morning, took in the camera and uploaded the card.
When I watched the film there it was.
"The camera starts recording for 30 seconds when there is motion.
A couple of times it was just the wind and then they were in shot.
"I couldn't believe the fox came up to the hedgehog and ate right next to it.
In footage I've got from a few weeks ago the fox stays well clear.
"I think foxes are opportunistic.
"I would imagine if a hedgehog was injured the fox would eat it if it could, but it probably knows it's not wise to try that with a healthy hedgehog." Wildlife experts suggest that foxes do not generally pose a threat to hedgehogs but there are rare incidents where foxes can prey on the spiky hedgehog.
Some foxes will wait for a hedgehog to unroll from its defensive ball, before taking a bite at it.
