Urban Hedgehog Welfare and Garden Hazards

Hedgehog populations have declined sharply across the UK and Europe, and urban gardens present specific welfare hazards including pesticides, garden machinery, and entanglement that responsible gardeners can address.

Key Facts

UK hedgehog populations have declined by approximately 50% since 2000 in rural areas, with urban populations more stable
Garden strimmers and lawnmowers kill and injure thousands of hedgehogs annually during the day when they sleep in vegetation
Slug pellets containing metaldehyde were banned in the UK in 2022 partly due to wildlife harm including hedgehogs
Hedgehogs travel up to 2 km nightly and need gaps in garden fences to move between territories
Bonfire heaps built and left before lighting are frequently occupied by sleeping hedgehogs

Welfare Considerations

Urban hedgehog welfare depends significantly on the choices of garden owners. A hedgehog injured by a strimmer suffers severe laceration injuries that frequently prove fatal; a hedgehog consuming poisoned slugs dies from muscle paralysis. These are preventable welfare harms requiring simple behaviour changes from gardeners. Checking vegetation before strimming, leaving bonfires unlit until just before use, using wildlife-friendly slug control, and creating hedgehog highways through fence boards are all low-effort, high-impact welfare interventions. Urban gardens that make these choices collectively create navigable habitat networks that sustain hedgehog populations.

What You Can Do

Check long grass and vegetation before strimming or mowing
Create a hedgehog highway -- a 13cm gap -- in garden fences and walls
Use hedgehog-friendly slug control rather than chemical pellets
Never light a bonfire without checking for hedgehogs immediately before lighting
Provide supplementary food and fresh water in dry summer months