Hi Hedgie Lover
Don’t be too disheartened. This is the time of year when hogs seem to disappear. The Males, in particular, I find. Males do tend to change nest quite often, too, so that may be why Klepto moved on. It’s a way of minimising the parasite risk. They turn up again in the Spring. All the males seem to have disappeared from here already.
The fox may be one of the ones who doesn’t do the hogs any harm. If it is looking like it’s hunting, possibly not. As I understand it, the ones who specialise in hedgehogs sit and wait until the hog unrolls and then pounce. That’s why I don’t think it’s a good idea to feed hogs and foxes together, in case, because the hogs would already be unrolled. So if the fox was actively hunting, hopefully the hogs would run, or roll. I have heard that it is the young foxes more likely to chase the hogs and possibly damage their back legs – maybe playing – so an adult possibly not.
It’s also possible it’s the hog’s food the fox is interested in rather than the hogs themselves.
But, as long as you have a safe place for the hogs to feed, that is probably the best thing you can do. It’s when they’re feeding that their defences are likely to lower. When they’re out and about being wild hogs they are likely to be more alert.
Try not to worry too much and enjoy seeing the fox as well. Nice to have wildlife if your garden, of any description. It may be that the fox has also been visiting for a long time, but you just didn’t know about it before you got the camera. Glad to hear the camera is a success.
Good luck.
