Wild Hedgehog Urban Habitat and Garden Welfare

European hedgehog populations have declined by over 50% since the 1990s, and urban gardens represent a critical refuge whose management significantly affects hedgehog welfare and survival.

Key Facts

UK hedgehog populations declined from 30 million in the 1950s to under 1 million today
Garden fencing creates isolated habitat patches preventing hedgehog movement and foraging
Road traffic kills an estimated 100,000 to 300,000 hedgehogs annually in the UK
Slug pellets containing metaldehyde poisoned hedgehogs before the UK ban in 2022
Hedgehog highways — 13cm holes in garden fences — allow movement between gardens

Welfare Considerations

Urban hedgehogs confined to individual gardens by solid fencing cannot access sufficient territory to meet foraging and breeding needs, causing nutritional stress and reproductive failure. Road mortality accounts for enormous numbers of individuals each year. Garden management choices including reducing slug pellet use, leaving leaf piles for hibernation, and creating hedgehog highways collectively transform urban areas from fragmented hazardous territories into connected networks of viable habitat.

What You Can Do

Create a hedgehog highway by cutting a 13cm gap in your garden fence
Avoid all slug pellets — use physical barriers, copper tape, or biological controls instead
Leave a corner of your garden wild with leaf piles for hedgehog hibernation habitat
Put out hedgehog-appropriate food such as wet cat food beside a fresh water dish