Wildlife

Hedgehog Welfare in Garden Environments

Wild hedgehogs have declined by over 50% in the UK since the 1970s, making garden-level action critical for their survival and welfare.

Key Facts

UK hedgehog populations have fallen from an estimated 30 million in the 1950s to under 1 million today
Hedgehogs roam up to 2 km per night and are highly mobile across garden boundaries
Garden netting, bonfires, slug pellets and strimmers kill thousands annually
Hedgehog highways — 13 cm holes in fences — allow movement between gardens
They hibernate from November to March and need undisturbed leaf piles or log stacks

Welfare Considerations

Garden hazards cause significant hedgehog suffering and mortality. Strimmers cause severe wounds to hibernating or sheltering hedgehogs. Metaldehyde slug pellets cause slow, painful poisoning. Drowning in steep-sided ponds is a common fate for hedgehogs that fall in while foraging. Providing safe habitat, reducing chemical use and creating hedgehog highways are impactful individual actions.

What You Can Do

Create a hedgehog highway by cutting a 13 cm hole at the base of garden fences
Remove or cover steep-sided ponds or add a ramp to help hedgehogs escape
Switch from metaldehyde to iron phosphate slug pellets or use physical barriers
Register your garden on BigGardenBirdwatch or Hedgehog Street to contribute monitoring data