Hedgehog Population Decline: Causes and Conservation

Hedgehog populations have halved in Britain since 2000. Understanding the causes of decline enables effective individual and collective conservation action.

Key Facts

British hedgehog populations have declined from approximately 30 million in the 1950s to under 1 million today
Rural declines are linked to agricultural intensification, badger predation in fragmented habitats, and invertebrate prey decline
Urban hedgehog populations are declining more slowly and may be partially buffering overall losses
Road mortality kills an estimated 335,000 hedgehogs annually in Britain
Garden fencing that prevents movement between urban patches fragments hedgehog territories
The State of Britain's Hedgehogs report documents trends and informs conservation responses

Welfare Considerations

Population-level hedgehog decline means millions of fewer individuals able to live full, natural lives over time. Individual hedgehogs face welfare impacts from habitat deterioration including reduced food availability, increased exposure to hazards, and injury from agricultural machinery and road traffic. Conservation actions that address population-level decline serve the welfare of current and future individual hedgehogs by preserving the conditions they need to thrive.

What You Can Do

Make a 13cm diameter hole in your garden fence to allow hedgehog movement between patches
Provide supplementary food (wet cat or dog food) and fresh water for garden hedgehogs
Create habitat in your garden through log piles, leaf litter areas, and wild corners
Check vegetation before strimming and bonfires before lighting during hedgehog active seasons
Donate to the British Hedgehog Preservation Society and local hedgehog rescue organizations
Report hedgehog sightings to national monitoring schemes to contribute to population tracking