Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Mystery animal in my garden

56 replies

Spaghettio · 13/09/2019 13:44

For the last few weeks we've been discovering small piles of animal poo in our garden. Mostly on the grass.

We have no pets! Neighbours on one side are pet-less, other side have guinea pigs. Neighbours over the back have (what sounds like) a big dog. We've got pretty secure fencing - except with the Guinea Pig neighbours. We've got a rickety fence on that side with some hedges as well.

Occasionally we've seen a cat wandering through our garden, but it doesn't stay long. We've never really see foxes here, despite there being some urban ones in the area. We put that down to the previous owner having dogs, and thinking that maybe the local foxes had blacklisted our garden? 🤷🏻‍♀️ We have squirrels visit us regularly but they don't really leave any evidence (apart from eating my roses)!

While out gardening today I've discovered something has been digging in the garden as well.

Whatever it is, I suspect it's nocturnal as we never see anything. I took a photo of some of the poo and the holes. Can anyone help identify it?

Apart from having to pick up poo it's not bothering us - I'd just really like to identify it!

OP posts:
Soola · 13/09/2019 13:47

.

Mystery animal in my garden
pinkmagic1 · 13/09/2019 13:47

Fox?

bengalcat · 13/09/2019 13:48

Love the bear - lol

AintNobodyHereButUsChickens · 13/09/2019 13:50

Possibly fox. Can you set up a camera to see if you can find out who the culprit is?

Zaphodsotherhead · 13/09/2019 13:52

Looks like fox to me, with the seeds in. Could be hedgehog too, but they tend not to dig so much.

endofthelinefinally · 13/09/2019 13:52

That is fox poo.

Stayawayfromitsmouth · 13/09/2019 13:56

Fox or squirrel?

Spaghettio · 13/09/2019 14:01

I discounted foxes as it doesn't really resemble fox poo I've seen before. It's kid of pellets but all clumped together. And it doesn't stink like fox poo does normally. It's v black and hard as well (not squishy like when children have it smeared on shoes 🤢).

But the digging would make sense for a fox. 🦊

I wondered about hedgehog 🦔? How big are holes dug by hedgehogs? I'm a forriner so have never really seen one in real life. How big are they?

Nothing has been eating any of my veg in the garden. I've got ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, courgettes and a ripening pumpkin that haven't been touched by any animals......

OP posts:
Spaghettio · 13/09/2019 14:03

DS has one of those GoPro type cameras - I wonder if I could set it up? 🧐

OP posts:
AintNobodyHereButUsChickens · 13/09/2019 14:04

Hedgehog sizes vary wildly. We had 2 in our garden in the space of a week. The first one was absolutely massive, about the size of a Yorkshire Terrier. The second was about a third of the size of the first one!

AintNobodyHereButUsChickens · 13/09/2019 14:07

Ooh yes a Go-Pro would be ideal! Ask him to help you set it up. As well as finding out what the mystery animal is, it will be so interesting getting to watch it do its thing without disturbing it Smile

Spaghettio · 13/09/2019 14:10

I'd really rather it was a hedgehog! 🦔

Right - I guess I'll be on wildlife watch this weekend! Will try to set the camera to be motion sensored (if that's even possible!).

OP posts:
Zaphodsotherhead · 13/09/2019 14:12

Most likely a hedgehog coming in for the slugs that will be hanging around your courgettes (good grief that sounds like a smutty sentence).

AintNobodyHereButUsChickens · 13/09/2019 14:13

Keep us updated when you find out what it is Smile I love hedgehogs ❤️ We had to block their way into our garden as the dogs were the ones who found them, they didn't harm them but the barking must have scared the poor things half to death!

Spaghettio · 13/09/2019 14:15

@Zaphodsotherhead 😂

They're more than welcome to all the bloody slugs and snails. If it turns out they are hedgehogs and that's what they want, I'll set a buffet for them! 🐌

OP posts:
Spaghettio · 13/09/2019 14:16

@AintNobodyHereButUsChickens I'll let you know any developments. As we are pet-less I'll happily welcome them into my garden!

OP posts:
Zaphodsotherhead · 13/09/2019 14:18

I could offer you my terrier.

If she rolls in it, it's fox pooh.

If she eats it, it's hedgehog.

If she stares at it and bristles, it's probably wolverine or something.

KUGA · 13/09/2019 14:20

Looks like fox poo to me.

nononever · 13/09/2019 14:20

Any zoos nearby? If so keep your doors locked Grin.

I don't think I've ever seen fox or hedgehog poo enough to recognise it.

AintNobodyHereButUsChickens · 13/09/2019 14:21

This was hog number 2 Smile

Mystery animal in my garden
Mystery animal in my garden
BlueEyedBengal · 13/09/2019 14:23

Badgers maybe?

Spaghettio · 13/09/2019 14:26

No zoos nearby so I'm hoping we're safe from any escaped carnivores!

Our house is not too far (maybe a mile or so) from woods so wildlife is not unexpected, but we are on the edges of suburbia. Do badgers live in urban areas like foxes? 🦡

OP posts:
Spaghettio · 13/09/2019 14:27

@AintNobodyHereButUsChickens - I soooo want it to be a hedgehog now! 🦔😊

OP posts:
Frith2013 · 13/09/2019 14:28

I wouldn’t have thought fox poo would have so many seeds in it. More likely to be hedgehog poo, as they’re omnivorous.

Hedgehogs here now after a 20 year abscence!

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.