Hi Margaret
Yes, unfortunately some foxes do predate on hedgehogs. You may see pictures of hedgehogs and foxes eating side by side. Personally, that isn’t something I would want to encourage. Apparently there is sometimes a fox who has become a bit of a specialist hedgehog predator. I believe they wait until the hedgehog unrolls and then pounce. So, you’ll appreciate that allowing the hedgehog to think it’s ok eating beside a fox is not really good news. I don’t think it’s a good idea to allow hedgehogs to become habituated to humans either, because whether we like it or not, humans are predators.
You may be lucky that the foxes aren’t interested, but if I had that situation, I would make a safe place for the hedgehogs to eat, which foxes couldn’t access – at least. It may be that the fox has changed it’s normal territory because of reduced food availability in the winter. So, with a bit of luck it might move on.
I have nothing at all against foxes – beautiful animals, too – but I think we need to be aware that there is a potential conflict with hedgehogs. I perceive that there could be situations where we are inadvertently encouraging hedgehogs to put themselves in danger. There are always pros and cons.
I hope the situation resolves itself. Good luck.
