Urban Hedgehog Welfare | Animal Welfare Hub

Hedgehogs have declined by approximately 50% in the UK since 2000, but urban populations have fared better than rural ones — making garden-friendly habitats critically important.

Key Facts

UK hedgehog populations have declined from 36 million in the 1950s to an estimated 1 million today
Urban hedgehog populations are more stable than rural populations, partly due to reduced agricultural pesticide exposure
Hedgehogs can travel 2-3 km in a single night; fragmented gardens limit access to food, mates, and hibernation sites
Common causes of urban hedgehog death include garden strimmers, bonfires, garden netting, and road traffic
Hibernation sites are critical; garden bonfires kill hibernating hedgehogs every autumn

Welfare Considerations

Urban hedgehogs face welfare challenges that are primarily caused by human activities: entanglement in garden netting, injury by strimmers, death on bonfires, and road traffic mortality. Each of these causes preventable suffering — strimmer injuries cause severe lacerations, entanglement causes slow death from starvation, and bonfire deaths are deeply distressing. Simple behavioural changes — checking bonfires before lighting, cutting netting to 13mm squares, and installing hedgehog holes — can significantly reduce these causes of urban hedgehog mortality and suffering.

What You Can Do

Install hedgehog holes (13cm x 13cm) in garden fences and walls
Check bonfires carefully before lighting and build them on the day rather than in advance
Use a spade or hands to check compost heaps before turning; never use strimmers without checking first
Leave areas of your garden wild for hibernation and foraging
Record hedgehog sightings with the British Hedgehog Preservation Society survey