Wildlife Hedgehog Garden Welfare

How garden management choices directly affect hedgehog welfare and what practical steps create hedgehog-friendly environments.

Key Facts

UK gardens cover an estimated 400,000 hectares — collectively a significant wildlife habitat resource
Hedgehog mortality from garden tools including lawnmowers, strimmers, and forks is a significant welfare problem
Slug pellets containing metaldehyde cause slow, painful death if ingested by hedgehogs
Bonfires left unattended before lighting kill hedgehogs that shelter in the base material
Gaps of 13x13cm in garden boundaries allow hedgehog movement between gardens, essential for their territory requirements

Welfare Considerations

The collective impact of individually minor garden management decisions on hedgehog welfare is enormous at population scale. Every garden that uses hedgehog-safe pest control, manages vegetation with care, and creates boundary gaps contributes to the welfare of wild hedgehogs navigating an increasingly fragmented landscape. The welfare of individual hedgehogs depends on access to food, water, shelter, and connected territory — all of which garden design either supports or prevents. The simplicity and low cost of the most impactful garden modifications — removing garden netting at ground level, creating boundary gaps, switching to pet-safe slug control — make hedgehog garden welfare a highly accessible welfare action.

What You Can Do

Create a 13x13cm gap in garden fences or walls to allow hedgehog movement between gardens
Check vegetation piles and any accumulated leaf litter before using garden tools that could injure hedgehogs
Switch from metaldehyde to ferric phosphate or nematode slug control to prevent hedgehog poisoning
Remove or securely peg down any netting that could entangle hedgehogs at ground level
Provide a shallow dish of fresh water in your garden — hedgehogs need water access, especially in summer