Saving Ed
The Little Hedgehog at the Bottom of the Pool
Ed Hedgehog
Carla calls, as she often does,
“Come quickly now, and without a fuss.”
“There’s a little critter crying, he’s fallen in the pool,
And helping him out, is our unwritten rule.”
The phone rang at 9:30 in the morning.
It was Carla.
That alone was not unusual.
What was unusual was the urgency.
“Come quickly. Bring a towel.”
“What’s happened?”
“Just hurry.”
The line went dead.
A few minutes later I arrived at a show home across the road from where Carla was working. She was standing beside an empty swimming pool, waving her arms for me to move faster.
At the bottom of the pool sat a small hedgehog.
Alive.
But only just.
The pool had no shallow end, no escape ramp, and no steps other than a vertical stainless-steel ladder. For a creature with tiny legs and no way to climb smooth walls, it might as well have been a canyon.
I climbed down with the towel.
The little fellow moved slightly.
That was enough.
I wrapped him carefully, lifted him up, and handed him to Carla.
Her face lit up immediately.
“He’s alive!”
A few minutes later we were driving towards a patch of woodland near the Roman ruins of Tróia.
We found a quiet spot beneath the trees and gently placed him back where he belonged.
Within moments he disappeared into the undergrowth.
Back to the hedges.
Back to being a hedgehog.
We called him Ed.
Years later, regulations were introduced requiring protective barriers around many holiday-rental swimming pools. Those rules have undoubtedly saved countless animals and perhaps a few adventurous children as well.
But on that particular morning, before the regulations arrived, Ed’s good fortune depended entirely on a phone call, a towel, and Carla’s refusal to walk past a creature in need.
Meet the European Hedgehog
The hedgehog most commonly found in Portugal is the European Hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus).
Although many people rarely see them, they are surprisingly common throughout the countryside, cork forests, gardens, farmland, and coastal regions of Portugal.
How Big Do They Grow?
Length: 20–30 cm
Weight: 600 g to 1.2 kg
Covered by approximately 5,000 to 7,000 protective spines
Can roll into a tight ball when threatened
How Long Do They Live?
Typically 2–5 years in the wild
Some individuals can live 7–10 years under favourable conditions
Where Do They Live?
Hedgehogs prefer:
Cork oak forests
Pine woodlands
Gardens
Hedgerows
Quiet farmland
Areas with plenty of insects and natural cover
They spend much of the day sleeping in nests made from leaves and grass.
What Do They Eat?
Despite many children’s books suggesting otherwise, hedgehogs do not live on apples.
Their favourite foods include:
Beetles
Caterpillars
Worms
Slugs
Snails
Small insects
This makes them valuable helpers in gardens.
Babies and Family Life
Female hedgehogs are pregnant for around:
35 days
A litter usually contains:
4–6 babies
Although litters can range from 1–10 young.
Baby hedgehogs are called:
Hoglets
They are born with soft white spines hidden beneath the skin, which emerge shortly after birth.
Are Hedgehogs Monogamous?
No.
Hedgehogs lead mostly solitary lives.
Males and females meet briefly to mate before returning to their independent routines. The mother raises the young alone.
Can They Swim?
Surprisingly, yes.
Hedgehogs are capable swimmers.
The problem is not getting into the water.
The problem is getting out.
Many drown in swimming pools, ornamental ponds, and water tanks because the sides are too steep to climb.
How to Help a Hedgehog
If you discover a hedgehog trapped in a pool:
Stay calm.
Use a towel or gloves.
Lift it gently.
Place it somewhere safe and shaded.
Offer a shallow dish of water.
Release it near vegetation or natural cover.
A simple wooden ramp placed in a pool can also provide an escape route for wildlife.
What the Hedgehog Represents
Across many cultures, the hedgehog has become a symbol of:
Protection
Resilience
Quiet courage
Resourcefulness
Gentle strength
Unlike larger animals, the hedgehog survives not through force, but through patience, adaptability, and knowing when to curl up and wait for danger to pass.
There is perhaps a lesson in that.
True strength does not always roar.
Sometimes it fits inside a towel and disappears quietly back into the forest.
Because every creature deserves the chance to find its way home.
Enjoy More Tales
Read all of our stories on Notes From The Coast crafted from within the magical woodlands along the Alentejo Coast, read the latest regional insights, visit all the different areas in Comporta, or consult our comprehensive Comporta Property Market Guide for a deeper understanding of one of Portugal’s most remarkable coastal regions.
Published June 2026.
Author: Ronald Wayne
Founder – Private Real Estate Advisory, Comporta, Alentejo Coast, Portugal.
Ronald Wayne has spent almost two decades documenting the evolution of Comporta, Melides, and Portugal’s Alentejo Coast through independent research, photography, and regional market analysis.