Supporting Hedgehog Survival in Gardens

British hedgehog populations have declined by over a third in rural areas since 2000, but garden management can make a real difference.

Key Facts

UK hedgehog populations have fallen from an estimated 36 million in 1950 to under 1 million today
Gardens provide crucial refuge habitat as agricultural land becomes less hospitable
Hedgehogs travel 1-2km per night foraging; garden fencing traps and isolates populations
13x13cm holes in garden boundaries allow hedgehog access without letting in larger animals
Slug pellets containing metaldehyde kill hedgehogs that eat poisoned slugs

Welfare Considerations

Hedgehogs face a combination of welfare threats: road mortality, garden hazard exposure (strimmers, netting, ponds), and slow starvation as prey invertebrate populations decline. Individual hedgehogs found during daylight are usually in serious trouble and need immediate veterinary attention. Collective garden management — linked hedgehog highways, compost heaps as nesting sites, and pond escape ramps — creates population-level welfare benefits through habitat connectivity.

What You Can Do

Create a hedgehog highway hole in your garden fence
Remove or secure garden netting at ground level during hedgehog season
Avoid all pesticide use in gardens to protect hedgehog prey invertebrates
Contact the British Hedgehog Preservation Society if you find a sick hedgehog
Register your garden with the People's Trust for Endangered Species Big Hedgehog Map