Hedgehog Welfare and Garden Habitat

UK hedgehog populations have declined by 50% since 2000. Gardens are increasingly important refuges and garden management practices directly affect hedgehog welfare.

Key Facts

Hedgehog numbers have fallen from 30 million in the 1950s to under 1 million today
Gardens provide critical habitat in an increasingly fragmented landscape
Hedgehogs travel up to 2km nightly and require connectivity between gardens
Slug pellets containing metaldehyde and ferric phosphate reduce prey availability and can harm hedgehogs
Road casualties kill an estimated 100,000-300,000 hedgehogs annually in the UK

Welfare Considerations

Individual hedgehog welfare is significantly affected by garden management choices. Impenetrable garden boundaries trap individuals unable to access sufficient food. Slug pellets reduce invertebrate prey and can cause secondary poisoning. Bonfires and strimmers injure hedgehogs sheltering in long grass. Providing 13cm gaps at the base of garden fences, creating log pile shelters, avoiding pesticides and checking before mowing directly reduces individual mortality and improves habitat quality. These simple interventions collectively create meaningful welfare benefits at population scale.

What You Can Do

Create a 13cm hedgehog highway hole in your garden fence or wall
Build a hedgehog house from logs and leaves in a quiet garden corner
Stop using slug pellets - use physical barriers and encourage natural predators
Check long grass, compost heaps and bonfires before using strimmers or lighting fires
Record hedgehog sightings on the Big Hedgehog Map to support population monitoring