Hedgehog Population Decline and Garden Welfare

UK hedgehog populations have declined by approximately one third since the millennium, with garden management, road mortality, and agricultural change the primary drivers, while gardens represent a critical refuge habitat.

Key Facts

UK hedgehog populations have declined by approximately 30% since 2000 in rural areas and are more stable in towns
Road mortality kills an estimated 100,000-300,000 hedgehogs annually in the UK
Hedgehog highways - small holes in garden fences - allow hedgehogs to roam the large territories they require
Pesticide use reduces the invertebrate prey base that hedgehogs depend on for nutrition
Intensification of agriculture has removed the hedgerows and rough grassland that provide hedgehog habitat

Welfare Considerations

Individual hedgehogs face significant welfare threats from road traffic, entanglement in garden netting and litter, slug pellet secondary poisoning, and loss of foraging habitat. Road casualties cause traumatic injury with hedgehogs often suffering internal injuries and dying slowly after being hit. The population decline means that each individual is proportionally more important for population recovery, making individual welfare protection and population-level conservation directly connected. Simple garden management changes create genuine welfare improvements for hedgehogs at landscape scale when adopted by many households.

What You Can Do

Create a hedgehog highway by making a 13cm x 13cm hole in your garden fence to allow movement
Provide fresh water and wet cat or dog food to support hedgehogs visiting your garden
Check compost heaps and piles of leaves before disturbing them especially in autumn and winter
Remove or secure garden netting at ground level where hedgehogs can become entangled
Support Hedgehog Street and the British Hedgehog Preservation Society with donations or volunteering