Hedgehog Decline and Garden Welfare: Supporting Britain Most Loved Wild Mammal

UK hedgehog populations have declined by over 50% since 2000. Gardens can play a vital role in supporting remaining populations through habitat provision and welfare-conscious management.

Key Facts

UK hedgehog populations have declined from an estimated 30 million in the 1950s to under 1 million today
Road casualties kill an estimated 100,000-300,000 hedgehogs annually in the UK
Pesticide use reduces invertebrate prey availability and may cause direct toxicity through slug pellet consumption
Garden barriers including fences and walls fragment hedgehog territory - hogs need 1-2km nightly foraging range
13cm gaps in fences allow hedgehog passage - the Hedgehog Street campaign promotes garden connectivity
Bonfire and compost heap checks prevent hedgehog injuries and deaths from burns and machinery
Supplementary feeding with cat or dog food (not bread and milk) supports hedgehogs through lean periods

Welfare Considerations

Hedgehog garden welfare is one of the clearest examples of how individual household decisions aggregate to population-level conservation impacts. The hedgehog decline reflects a perfect storm of fragmented habitat, reduced invertebrate prey, road mortality, and loss of winter food stores. Individual gardens are too small for hedgehog territories, but connected gardens create corridors that allow the nightly foraging range hedgehogs need. The welfare actions available to garden owners - fence gaps, reduced pesticide use, bonfire checks, supplementary feeding - are individually small but collectively significant. Creating hedgehog-friendly gardens is one of the most accessible wildlife welfare actions available to urban and suburban residents.

What You Can Do

Create a 13cm gap at the base of garden fences to allow hedgehog movement between gardens
Reduce or eliminate pesticide use, particularly slug pellets, to protect hedgehog prey and prevent direct poisoning
Check bonfires and compost heaps carefully before lighting or turning - hedgehogs use these as shelter
Provide supplementary food (cat or dog food, not bread and milk) and fresh water, particularly in autumn and dry summer periods
Register your garden on the Hedgehog Street map and encourage neighbors to create connected wildlife corridors