Wild Hedgehogs in Urban Gardens: Supporting Declining Populations

Hedgehog populations have declined by over 50% in the UK since 2000. Urban gardens are increasingly important refuges, and simple actions by householders can make a significant difference.

Key Facts

UK hedgehog populations have declined from an estimated 30 million in the 1950s to under one million today
Road traffic kills an estimated 100,000 hedgehogs per year in the UK alone
Solid garden fencing fragments hedgehog foraging ranges, which can span several kilometres per night
Slug pellets containing metaldehyde or methiocarb poison hedgehogs directly and reduce their invertebrate food supply
Garden bonfires and strimmers injure and kill hedgehogs that shelter in leaf piles and long grass
Milk and bread — often offered to garden hedgehogs — are inappropriate and harmful food items
Hedgehog highways — 13cm holes in garden fences — allow hedgehogs to move between gardens safely

Welfare Considerations

Hedgehogs are suffering a welfare crisis at population scale: the combination of road traffic, habitat fragmentation, and pesticide use has reduced their numbers catastrophically in the UK and across Europe. Individual garden management decisions aggregate to population-level outcomes, making hedgehog welfare an unusual case where household actions directly affect species conservation. Simple interventions — hedgehog highways, log piles, ponds with exit ramps, no-slug-pellet policies, and bonfire checks — create tangible welfare benefits for a species whose urban survival increasingly depends on the sum of thousands of small garden management decisions. The hedgehog is also a good entry point for broader conversations about the wildlife welfare implications of conventional garden management.

What You Can Do

Create a hedgehog highway by cutting a 13cm hole at ground level in your garden fence
Stop using slug pellets and switch to wildlife-friendly alternatives such as copper tape or nematodes
Always check bonfires and leaf piles for hedgehogs before lighting or disturbing them
Provide fresh water and meat-based cat food for hedgehogs visiting your garden