Wildlife

Hedgehog: Garden Champion Needs Wildlife-Friendly Spaces

Hedgehog populations have declined by a third since 2000 but gardens can play a crucial role in supporting these beloved animals.

Key Facts

UK hedgehog numbers fell from approximately 30 million in the 1950s to under 1 million today
Hedgehogs travel up to 2 kilometres per night searching for food
They hibernate from November to March depending on temperature
A hedgehog can eat 200 grams of invertebrates in a single night
Female hedgehogs raise their young entirely alone without help from males

Welfare Considerations

Hedgehogs face welfare threats from loss of foraging habitat through garden tidiness trends, barriers created by solid garden fences, vehicle collisions, and strimmer injuries. Slug pellets and other pesticides kill the invertebrates they need and can poison hedgehogs directly. Badgers are natural predators and may suppress hedgehog populations in some areas.

What You Can Do

Create a 13-centimetre gap in garden fences to allow hedgehog movement between gardens
Leave a wild patch of long grass and leaves as foraging and nesting habitat
Never use metaldehyde or ferric phosphate slug pellets
Provide supplementary food using meat-based cat food in autumn
Check bonfire piles before lighting for hibernating hedgehogs