Urban Hedgehog Conservation Welfare

Urban hedgehog populations have declined dramatically in the UK. Threats to survival include roads, gardens and pesticide use.

Key Facts

UK hedgehog populations have declined by approximately 50% since 2000
Road mortality is estimated to kill over 100,000 hedgehogs annually in the UK
Fragmented gardens with impermeable fencing prevent hedgehog movement and foraging
Slug pellets containing metaldehyde, now banned in the UK, caused significant hedgehog deaths
Garden tidiness removes invertebrate prey and hibernation habitat
Hedgehog highways - 13cm holes in fences - allow movement between gardens
Hedgehog Street initiative has created thousands of linked garden networks

Welfare Considerations

Hedgehog welfare in urban environments involves numerous threats including road trauma, entanglement in netting, strimmer injuries, and starvation in fragmented habitats. Road collisions cause severe trauma and death. Habitat fragmentation forces hedgehogs to travel further in search of food and mates, increasing all risks. Individual garden changes create genuine population-level welfare and conservation benefits.

What You Can Do

Create a hedgehog highway in your garden fence or wall
Remove or raise garden netting to prevent hedgehog entanglement
Avoid using pesticides and slug pellets - support natural invertebrate communities
Provide fresh water and hedgehog-safe food during summer droughts