Fox and hedgehog caught sharing midnight feast on garden spy cam

'I have never seen them so close together feeding out of the same bowl,' says Stuart McKenzie, who filmed the scene

A fox and a hedgehog make unlikely dinner companions, but footage from webcams set up in a wildlife enthusiast’s garden captured an unexpected midnight feast being shared by an unusual pair.

The animals were filmed sharing a dinner of dried mealworms and dog food in Stu McKenzie’s garden, in Malvern, Worcestershire.

Mr McKenzie, 48, said it was a “surprising” discovery as hedgehogs are usually seen as prey.

“I have seen them in the garden at the same time and the hedgehog normally rolls into a ball and the fox avoids it,” he said.

“But I have never seen them so close together feeding out of the same bowl. It’s a metal bowl and I put in dried mealworms and canned dog food.

“I strapped a trail camera to a tree in the garden like I’ve been doing for two months now to see what appears.”

Mr Mckenzie, a former BBC cameraman, said he was also surprised to see a hedgehog as he lives close to the town centre of Malvern. Hedgehogs prefer living on the edge of woodlands, but also thrive in gardens of both urban and suburban areas, according to conservation group Hedgehog Street.

“I couldn’t believe the fox came up to the hedgehog and ate right next to it. In footage I’ve got from a few weeks ago, the fox stays well clear. I think foxes are opportunistic,” he said.

“I would imagine if a hedgehog was injured the fox would eat it if it could, but it probably knows it’s not wise to try that with a healthy hedgehog.”

Wildlife experts say that while foxes have been known to eat hedgehogs, the small critters are more likely to be preyed on by badgers.