Wildlife

Urban Hedgehog Corridors: Connecting Fragmented Habitat

Hedgehog populations have declined dramatically in the UK, but urban gardens connected by wildlife corridors can provide crucial refuges.

Key Facts

UK hedgehog numbers have fallen by one-third since 2000
Hedgehogs roam up to 2 km per night foraging for invertebrates
Garden fences and walls fragment urban habitat, trapping hedgehogs
A 13cm x 13cm hole in fences allows hedgehogs to pass between gardens
Roads are a major cause of hedgehog mortality in urban areas

Welfare Considerations

Hedgehogs in fragmented urban landscapes face starvation, injury, and inability to find mates. Trapped in enclosed gardens, they exhaust local food supplies and may be unable to hibernate adequately. Slug pellets and other pesticides poison hedgehogs through their prey. Garden tidiness that removes leaf litter and log piles eliminates both hibernation sites and invertebrate prey.

What You Can Do

Cut a 13cm hole in garden fences to allow hedgehog access
Avoid using slug pellets and other pesticides in your garden
Leave areas of the garden wild with leaf litter and log piles
Register your garden with the Big Hedgehog Map citizen science project