Wildlife

Wild Hedgehog Population Decline and Recovery

UK hedgehogs have declined from 30 million in 1950 to fewer than 1 million today.

Key Facts

Hedgehog decline is driven by habitat loss, road mortality, and garden pesticides
Urban hedgehog populations are relatively more stable than rural ones
Garden connectivity through hedge holes allows hedgehogs to maintain territories
The UK government has hedgehog population recovery targets under nature recovery plans

Welfare Considerations

Individual hedgehogs killed on roads die from traumatic injury. Those dying slowly from ingested pesticides or secondary poisoning experience neurological symptoms and distress. Hedgehogs in fragmented habitats without connectivity cannot maintain adequate territories for feeding and reproduction. Each individual hedgehog's welfare is directly affected by garden design choices, road infrastructure, and land management practices.

What You Can Do

Create hedgehog highways through garden boundary holes
Never use metaldehyde slug pellets or rodenticides
Check bonfires and compost heaps before disturbing them
Support Hedgehog Street and British Hedgehog Preservation Society campaigns