Hedgehog Decline in UK Gardens: Causes and Solutions

Britain's hedgehog population has declined by over 50% since 2000, making it one of the most urgent mammal conservation priorities, with garden management playing a crucial role.

Key Facts

UK hedgehog numbers have fallen from an estimated 30 million in the 1950s to under 1 million today
Road casualties kill an estimated 100,000 hedgehogs annually in the UK
Garden fencing and netting traps and starves hedgehogs
Slug pellets containing metaldehyde or methiocarb are lethal to hedgehogs
The UK has committed to increasing wildlife-friendly gardening as part of its biodiversity strategy

Welfare Considerations

Hedgehogs face welfare harms across the landscape. Road collisions cause immediate traumatic injury and death. Garden strimmers kill nesting hedgehogs and young hoglets. Entanglement in garden netting causes starvation and limb injuries. Secondary poisoning from rodenticides and slug pellets causes hemorrhaging and slow death. Habitat fragmentation from solid fencing prevents hedgehogs from accessing the multi-garden territories they need to find mates, food, and hibernation sites.

What You Can Do

Create a 13x13cm hole in garden fencing or walls for hedgehog access
Check for nesting hedgehogs before using strimmers — especially in autumn
Use wildlife-friendly slug control such as barriers, traps, or nematodes
Provide a shallow dish of water and supplementary hedgehog food
Sign up to the Big Hedgehog Map to contribute sighting data to population monitoring