Wild Hedgehogs and Garden Habitat

Western European hedgehog populations have declined by up to 75% since the 1950s, with garden management practices playing a significant role in both the decline and potential recovery.

Key Facts

UK hedgehog populations have declined from an estimated 36 million in the 1950s to under 1 million today
Hedgehogs are insectivores that require diverse invertebrate prey found in messy, unmanicured gardens
Garden fencing with no gaps prevents hedgehog movement across the connected territories they need
Road casualties kill an estimated 335,000 hedgehogs annually in the UK
Pesticides reduce invertebrate prey and can directly poison hedgehogs
Garden ponds without escape ramps are a leading cause of hedgehog drowning

Welfare Considerations

The hedgehog decline is a welfare and conservation problem simultaneously rooted in domestic garden management. Individual hedgehogs suffer and die in ponds, on roads, and from starvation in heavily managed gardens stripped of invertebrate habitat. Garden-level interventions — leaving areas of undergrowth, creating hedgehog holes in fences, adding pond escape ramps, and reducing pesticide use — can directly improve the welfare and survival of hedgehogs at a community scale. The cumulative effect of millions of small garden changes could meaningfully slow population decline.

What You Can Do

Cut a 13cm hedgehog hole in the base of garden fences to allow movement
Leave areas of garden wild with leaf litter, log piles, and undisturbed undergrowth
Add an escape ramp to any garden pond
Stop using slug pellets and other pesticides that reduce invertebrate prey
Register your hedgehog-friendly garden with local wildlife monitoring programs