Hedgehog Urban Welfare: Garden Management and Road Mortality

Hedgehog populations have declined by over 50% in the UK since 2000, with urban areas now representing a refuge - but urban hedgehogs face their own specific welfare threats.

Key Facts

UK hedgehog population has declined from an estimated 36 million in 1950 to under 1 million today
Urban hedgehog populations have shown more stability than rural populations in recent surveys
Road mortality kills an estimated 100,000+ hedgehogs annually in the UK
Garden hazards including strimmers, bonfires, slug pellets, and ponds cause significant hedgehog deaths
Hedgehog highways - holes in garden fences - allow movement between gardens, essential for foraging and mating
Feeding hedgehogs with cat food and water supports their welfare, especially during dry summers
Hedgehogs are legally protected in the UK - it is an offence to kill or injure a wild hedgehog

Welfare Considerations

Urban hedgehog welfare is shaped by a complex of garden management choices by individual households. Slug pellets containing metaldehyde (now banned) and some newer alternatives cause painful poisoning deaths. Strimmers used without prior checks cause severe injuries. Bonfires built on top of hedgehog nests cause burning deaths. Conversely, garden-level changes - hedgehog holes in fences, log piles for hibernation, provision of food and water, and checking before strimming - are practical, low-cost welfare improvements that individual gardeners can implement immediately.

What You Can Do

Install hedgehog holes (13cm x 13cm) in garden fences and walls to enable movement
Check compost heaps, bonfires, and piles of leaves before disturbing them
Avoid rodenticides and slug pellets that harm hedgehogs through secondary poisoning
Provide shallow water and wet cat food or specialist hedgehog food during summer
Report injured hedgehogs to local wildlife rescue or RSPCA