Wildlife Welfare

Wild Hedgehog Urban Population Welfare

Urban hedgehog populations face welfare challenges from garden hazards, road traffic, and habitat fragmentation that simple actions can address.

Key Facts

UK hedgehog populations have declined by a third since the millennium in urban areas
Netting, slug pellets, and bonfires are common causes of hedgehog mortality and injury
Hedgehog highways - 13cm gaps in fences - allow safe movement between gardens
Shallow pond ramps prevent drowning for hedgehogs that fall into steep-sided water features
Checking bonfires before lighting prevents burning hedgehogs that shelter in leaf piles

Welfare Considerations

Urban hedgehogs face numerous preventable welfare hazards in managed gardens. Simple changes to garden management prevent individual hedgehog injuries and deaths, supporting population recovery at the same time.

What You Can Do

Create a hedgehog highway in your garden fence
Check bonfires for hedgehogs before lighting and check strimmers before use near vegetation
Install pond ramps and remove garden netting to eliminate hedgehog trapping hazards