Wildlife

European Hedgehog Welfare and Road Mortality

Hedgehog populations have declined significantly in rural areas, with road mortality, agricultural intensification, and garden isolation all contributing to welfare harm.

Key Facts

UK hedgehog populations have declined by around 50% since 2000
Road mortality may account for hundreds of thousands of hedgehog deaths annually
They are nocturnal and travel up to 2 km per night
Garden fencing prevents movement between suitable habitats
Hedgehog numbers have increased in some urban areas as predator pressure is lower

Welfare Considerations

Vehicle strikes cause traumatic deaths. Hedgehogs that curl defensively on roads face repeated strikes. Agricultural machinery during hay cutting injures and kills hedgehogs in rural areas. Slug pellets containing metaldehyde or methiocarb poison hedgehogs directly or through slug prey. Garden pond entrapment without escape routes causes drowning. Isolation in fenced gardens below minimum territory causes nutritional stress.

What You Can Do

Create hedgehog holes in fences connecting garden habitats
Drive slowly after dark in rural areas and suburbs
Use wildlife-friendly slug control alternatives
Install pond escape ramps and shallow edges
Donate to People's Trust for Endangered Species hedgehog monitoring programs