Wild Hedgehog Urban Garden Network: Connectivity and Welfare

Urban hedgehogs require access to multiple gardens to find sufficient food, mates and nesting sites. Creating connected garden networks is the most effective large-scale welfare intervention available.

Key Facts

Hedgehogs typically travel 1-2 km per night foraging, requiring access to multiple gardens
Garden boundary walls and close-boarded fences create impenetrable barriers that fragment hedgehog territories
A 13 x 13 cm hole in the base of garden boundaries allows hedgehog passage while excluding most other animals
The British Hedgehog Preservation Society's Hedgehog Street campaign has created over 100,000 hedgehog holes
Connected garden networks allow hedgehogs to reach the 10-20 gardens needed to meet their daily food requirements
Isolated gardens with insufficient food cause hedgehogs to attempt dangerous road crossings
Community-scale connectivity creates self-sustaining hedgehog populations rather than isolated individuals

Welfare Considerations

Individual hedgehog welfare in urban areas depends on garden network connectivity. A single garden, however well-provisioned with food and nesting habitat, cannot meet a hedgehog's territorial requirements. Isolated individuals in food-poor, disconnected gardens must attempt road crossings to find additional foraging areas - increasing road mortality risk. Neighbourhood-scale connectivity through coordinated boundary holes creates the habitat network that allows hedgehogs to meet their needs without dangerous road exposure. Community action is more effective than individual garden improvement alone.

What You Can Do

Make a 13 x 13 cm gap in your garden boundary and register it with the Hedgehog Street campaign
Talk to neighbours about creating connected boundary gaps and becoming a Hedgehog Street team
Share Hedgehog Street resources with your local council and community groups
Create a neighbourhood hedgehog corridor map to identify and close connectivity gaps