Wildlife

Hedgehog Welfare in the Garden and Beyond

Garden hedgehogs face multiple hazards from strimmers, bonfires, slug pellets, and garden netting, requiring simple but important human behaviour changes.

Key Facts

UK hedgehog populations have declined from 30 million in the 1950s to around 1 million
Garden hazards including strimmers, bonfires, and ponds cause significant mortality
Metaldehyde slug pellets cause neurological poisoning and prolonged suffering
Hedgehogs travel up to 2 km per night and are harmed by garden fencing
Badger predation and road traffic are major mortality causes in rural areas

Welfare Considerations

Hedgehogs injured by garden strimmers or entangled in netting suffer severe traumatic injuries requiring emergency veterinary care. Those that ingest slug pellets containing metaldehyde experience seizures and muscle tremors before death. Hedgehogs trapped in garden ponds drown after exhaustion. Animals disturbed from hibernation in bonfires face fatal temperature stress. These are largely preventable harms requiring simple awareness changes from garden owners.

What You Can Do

Check bonfires for hedgehogs before lighting, especially in autumn
Use ferric phosphate slug pellets instead of metaldehyde-based products
Create hedgehog holes in garden fences to allow free movement
Check long grass before using strimmers or rotary mowers
Provide a pond ramp and avoid piling garden netting on the ground