The Hedgehog Program has been a company for four years!
Who can remember that we once started as a simple Dutch forum called “Witbuikegel Wiki”? There are probably not many people who can remember that. Back to 2011 when I started keeping hedgehogs as pets and thinking about where we are now is incredibly special. And i have now been able to call myself a company through The Hedgehog Program for four years!
Special moments
Over the years, as a self-employed person, I have been able to work on setting up THP as a company and that has been accompanied by a lot of special moments. I have been able to travel through Europe to pick up and drop off hedgehogs, I have received quills and hair donations from owners, breeders, shelters and universities all over the world and I have been able to give radio and TV presentations about my work as a self-employed person. researcher specialized in hedgehogs and tenrecs. I have been able to write books, design online courses and join various Facebook groups as an admin and ‘group expert’ to teach everyone more about these special animals.
Special people
Of course, you don’t experience special moments without getting to know very special people! I met a lot of wonderful people on Facebook, including a number of breeders who actively helped with genetics research by dedicating themselves to linking litters to calculate and check the genetics. Without you, the research could never have been handled so well. But the people who help me day in, day out with writing content on the website also belong to this category: without my volunteers this website would not have become what it is today. Thank you!
Special animals
Over the years, I have also been able to meet a variety of very special animals. Who remembers them? The Albino Long-eared hedgehog, the argente colored European hedgehog, the blond Northern White-breasted hedgehog, the hybrid South African hedgehog, the African pygmy hedgehog with syndactyly? All special stories with special properties that I never dreamed I would be able to investigate.
Dreams of the future
Thanks to everyone who has supported and supported The Hedgehog Program over the years, I can also continue to dream about the future. In the company and also outside! After all, my life is quite merged with hedgehogs and nature. I therefore hope that I can continue my field research over the years and further expand it to other species. I also hope to do more in education, also outside of books, courses and Facebook groups, such as at events, schools and in collaboration with other nature organizations. There are so many hedgehogs and tenrecs that are barely written about, there is still plenty to do!
Free eBook!
In honor of the 4th anniversary of The Hedgehog Program, the eBook ‘African pygmy hedgehog – Atelerix albiventris’ can now be downloaded for free in our webshop in both Dutch and English! Be quick, the promotion only runs until November 14, 2023.
Coupon code: THPfreegift
