We’re lucky to spot hedgehogs (and so are they)

THESE days, flat hedgehogs are all too often seen on west Cork roads and, no doubt, on roads all over Ireland.

Young hedgehogs, at the behest of their genes, abandon home comforts and maternal milk when they are about six weeks old.

They and their siblings, which may number as many as five or six, set off into the world and whatever adventures may befall them. While a flat young hedgehog is a sorry sight, some comfort may be found in the fact that females generally produce two litters annually, averaging about 10 newcomers in all.