Hedgehog populations have declined severely across the UK, and a range of practical interventions can improve welfare and support population recovery.
Hedgehog welfare is affected by multiple interacting threats that are substantially human-caused. Road mortality causes acute traumatic injuries and death. Garden fencing prevents natural movement, causing animals to starve in isolated gardens when invertebrate prey is depleted. Slug pellets containing metaldehyde poison hedgehogs that eat affected slugs, causing seizures and death. Bonfires built in autumn when hedgehogs are seeking hibernation sites cause burning injuries and death. Each of these threats is preventable through relatively straightforward interventions at individual and community level, making hedgehog welfare an accessible focus for public engagement.