Wildlife Welfare

Wildlife Welfare: Hedgehog Road Mortality and Urban Gardens

Hedgehogs are one of Britain's fastest-declining mammals, with road mortality and garden fragmentation being major contributors to population collapse.

Key Facts

UK hedgehog numbers have declined by over 50% since the year 2000
Road traffic kills an estimated 100,000 or more hedgehogs annually in Britain
Solid garden fences prevent hedgehog movement between territories
A 13cm hole in a garden fence allows hedgehog passage
Urban gardens can form important foraging networks when connected

Welfare Considerations

Road mortality causes acute trauma and suffering for individual hedgehogs. Beyond direct death, injured hedgehogs may suffer prolonged distress before death or rescue. Reducing road mortality and improving habitat connectivity through garden corridors significantly benefits hedgehog welfare at population scale.

What You Can Do

Make a hedgehog highway gap in your garden fence
Drive carefully at night during hedgehog season (March to November)
Report hedgehog sightings to support national monitoring programmes