Watch Two Gibbons Try to Comprehend A Trespassing Hedgehog

The gibbons in this clip are very confused by this hedgehog which is fair enough because they are quite an unusual looking animal! The way these primates try to comprehend the little mammal is hilarious. It’s a combination of fascination and fear. Sometimes, they sit and stare at it, sometimes they leap at it and at other times they run away from it. Eventually, one of the animal keepers turns up with a strong pair of gloves and removes the offending hedgehog to somewhere that it won’t cause quite such a disturbance!

Lar Gibbons in the UK!

The gibbons featured in this vid are lar gibbons which are a native species of countries like Burma, Thailand, China and Laos. They are one of the animals at the Lake District Wildlife Park in the UK. They are the smallest member of the ape family and are known for using their long arms to move efficiently through trees – up to 35 miles per hour. Gibbons can live for up to 44 years and are omnivores – eating mainly fruit, plants and insects and would probably not eat a hedgehog!

In their native habitats (dense jungles and tropical forests), they are preyed on by eagles, leopards, small cat species and pythons. Their time is mostly spent in trees.  

Hedgehog Causes a commotion

This little hedgehog is oblivious to the commotion it has caused. The gibbons never get close enough to feel the hedgehog’s spikes but they can clearly tell that there is something very strange about this little mammal. Hedgehogs are found all over Europe as well as in Asia and Africa. There are 17 species of hedgehog and as this is the UK, it is most likely to be the West European hedgehog which is the largest and heaviest of the species. They are thought to be one of the oldest mammals on earth.

Depending on which continent they are living on, they can be preyed on by owls, foxes, wolves, mongooses and dogs. Their most prominent feature is their stiff, sharp spines. When they are in danger, they roll themselves up in a ball so that their spines stick out and this puts off many predators. They are not usually out during the day as they are nocturnal so hopefully this one was taken somewhere safe to sleep.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © SakSa/Shutterstock.com