British hedgehogs have declined by over 50% in 30 years. Urban populations are increasingly important for conservation, and individual welfare in urban environments is a specific concern.
Urban hedgehog welfare encompasses both individual animal wellbeing and population conservation. Road casualties cause significant suffering to individual animals, many of which survive with serious injuries requiring rehabilitation. Garden hazards including strimmers and toxic slug pellets cause preventable injury and death. Urban hedgehogs navigate fragmented habitat through garden networks, making garden connectivity essential. Creating hedgehog-friendly gardens with log piles, leaf litter, and hedgehog highways directly improves both individual animal welfare and population viability.