Hedgehog Urban Decline and Garden Habitat

European hedgehog populations have declined by over a third in the UK since 2000, with urban and suburban gardens playing a critical role in their survival.

Key Facts

UK hedgehog populations have fallen by an estimated 30 to 50 percent since the year 2000
Road mortality, habitat fragmentation, and loss of invertebrate prey are key drivers of decline
Urban hedgehogs depend on connected garden networks to find food and mates
Solid garden fencing is a major barrier, preventing hedgehogs from roaming the 1 to 2 km needed nightly
A 13-cm square hole at the base of fences, called a hedgehog highway, enables free movement between gardens
Slug pellets containing metaldehyde and rodenticides harm hedgehogs through direct ingestion and secondary poisoning
Citizen science projects such as Hedgehog Street track population trends and garden sightings

Welfare Considerations

Hedgehogs face chronic stress from habitat fragmentation, forcing them into road crossings and exposure to predators when natural corridors are blocked. Poisoning from garden chemicals causes painful deaths. Starvation is a significant risk when invertebrate prey declines due to pesticide use and loss of leaf litter habitat. Injured and orphaned hedgehogs admitted to wildlife rescue centres often suffer from road injuries, fly strike, and lungworm infections. Garden-based interventions are low-cost welfare actions with measurable positive impact at the population level.

What You Can Do

Cut a hedgehog highway hole in your fence or garden wall to allow free passage
Stop using slug pellets and rodenticides in your garden
Leave areas of leaf litter and log piles as hedgehog foraging and hibernation habitat
Provide supplementary food such as meat-based cat food and fresh water during summer and autumn
Register your garden with Hedgehog Street and record sightings to support population monitoring