Wildlife

Hedgehog Welfare and Conservation in the UK

British hedgehogs are in serious decline, facing welfare and conservation challenges from habitat loss, fragmentation, and road mortality.

Key Facts

UK hedgehog numbers have fallen by approximately 50% since 2000
Road mortality kills an estimated 100,000 hedgehogs per year in the UK
Garden hedgehog populations depend on connectivity through garden boundaries
Slug pellets containing metaldehyde poison hedgehogs via secondary poisoning
Hedgehog hibernation health is affected by food availability in autumn

Welfare Considerations

Hedgehog decline in the UK is both a conservation and welfare crisis. Individual hedgehogs face welfare harm from road mortality, entanglement in litter, secondary poisoning from pesticides, and starvation. Supporting hedgehog welfare through garden improvements, safe road crossing provision, and pesticide reduction can make a meaningful difference at the local level.

What You Can Do

Create hedgehog highways by making holes in garden fences
Leave a wild corner with leaves and logs as hedgehog habitat
Avoid using metaldehyde slug pellets
Check bonfires for hibernating hedgehogs before lighting
Report hedgehog sightings to local surveys to track population health