Morozova is searching for hedgehogs all over Russia.

      Morozova is searching for hedgehogs all over Russia

      On Saturday, March 28, the first festival in the region, "HedgeFest: Familiar Stranger," took place at the "Vyatka Generation" Family Center. The organizer was Irina Morozova, the deputy chairwoman of the Legislative Assembly of the Kirov region — a person who has been collecting everything related to hedgehogs for over ten years.

      Photo: Newsler.ru

      The organizer was Irina Morozova, the deputy chairwoman of the Legislative Assembly of the Kirov region, who has been collecting hedgehogs for over ten years. The idea of holding such a festival had been brewing in her mind for three years. "I wanted to show this to people, to tell them what kind of animal a hedgehog is," shared Irina Morozova. "I am glad that we succeeded today. I hope this 'pancake' is not a flop and that the festival will become a tradition." Morozova's collection includes hundreds of exhibits: from soft toys to dishes, from garden figures to author postcards. At the festival, she presented only a small part of her collection — themed postcards from different years, rare books, patchwork toys, and even a hedgehog taxidermy. However, the main interest was not in the static exhibits.

      Live "Africans" and myths about prickles

      The real stars of the festival were four African pygmy hedgehogs brought by breeder Vera Leontieva. These little ones are not the prickly "balls" one might encounter in the forest. "They do not live in the wild at all," explained Vera. "They only live in homes, in cages. They have a different structure; they do not hibernate." Children and adults approached to get acquainted with the pets. The hedgehogs could be gently picked up. It turned out they are not as prickly as one might think: in a calm state, their quills are soft, and the little creature willingly allows itself to be petted. However, as the breeder explained, each has its own character: some readily come to hands, while others live with their owner for years but never get used to interaction. The most hand-friendly hedgehog, Alice — with a light coat — didn't release her quills at all, allowing herself to be cuddled and even seemed to enjoy it. "If you feed them by hand, after six months they start to bite your finger, so it's better not to do that," warned Vera Leontieva. Domestic hedgehogs do not eat porridge and mushrooms but are fed specially grown insects and meat — chicken and turkey. Many visitors admitted that they rediscovered hedgehogs.

      Lectures, workshops, and children's delight

      The festival program was rich. Adults listened to lectures on hedgehog biology from zoologists and staff of the Kirov Zoological Museum, and in a training session with metaphorical cards, one could "get acquainted" with their inner hedgehog. For the youngest, interactive programs, an oil pastel drawing workshop, and cartoon screenings were available. But the biggest crowd of children gathered around a small tent with live hedgehogs. The kids watched in delight as the little creatures snorted, curled up into balls, and busily shuffled their paws.

      Hedgehog as a symbol

      Irina Morozova admits that her passion began with a gift from her husband about ten years ago. Since then, hedgehogs have become her calling card. "You know, when you go on a trip, the headache is what to bring back as a souvenir? But this headache has disappeared; we search for hedgehogs everywhere," she smiles. Gradually, the collection grew, and the dacha where it is stored is jokingly called "Hedgehog's House" by the family. At the same time, Morozova, a doctor by profession, until recently was a staunch opponent of keeping live hedgehogs at home. "To be honest, hedgehogs are actually our natural, Kirov ones; they are carriers of a very large number of diseases. Therefore, I was against keeping them at home," she confessed. But at the festival, her views were seriously shaken. Here, for the first time, she held a live African pygmy hedgehog. "Maybe I will get excited, and I will also have a live one," shares Irina Gennadyevna.

      Photo: Newsler.ru

      A collection of food for cats and dogs will take place in Kirov. In Strizhi, goats are kept at a "dump" and released for free-range.